FCPS Appeals decision are out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did not get in despite having mildly gifted WISC, 140+. My kid is in 99.6% but this is somehow not good enough for FCPS.
I have a tangebile test score along with other documentation to prove he is eligible. Yet all I received from the school is a generic unqualified letter.
Also why are we providing all those documents explaining every detail providing documents when we get nothing from FCPS.
At least FCPS should show the decency explaining why my kid is not accepted.

It really seems like a colossal screw up this year. I have never seen so many high wisc rejections for appeals. Appeal process is when they usually fix their mistakes.

I have only been reading this board for three AAP cycles and this happens every year. And someone makes the same comment every year.

+10000
Every. Year.

Which has led me to believe that the teacher evaluations carry weight and that possibly there are key phrases that evaluators look for that signal to them that the child is not ready or would be a poor behavior fit

I also tend to think that behavior factors into the teacher evaluations and that parents often wayyy over estimate how quiet thoughtful helpful kind independent their child really is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really does seem like the GBRS carries the most weight for better or worse. Those with high WISCs need to figure out why the 3 people that did their child’s GBRS didn’t give them a higher rating (and hopefully it will be different next year). Are they flagged for Level 2 math and language arts? Are they in top reading and math groups?

It's not really a collaborative effort between 3 people. At some schools, the classroom teacher sets the score, and the rest of the committee members go along with it. At others, the AART overrides the classroom teacher. At some schools, the classroom teacher is the only one who even knows the kid. Also, some of these kids are in the top groups in everything, but are still getting lower GBRS scores.

My kids are older, but my DS was skipped ahead a grade in math, so he had a different teacher for math. He also had Level II pull outs with the reading specialist. His classroom teacher only saw him once/week for the highest reading group and never for math. Yet, neither my DS' math teacher nor the reading specialist were on the GBRS committee. Instead, the classroom teacher, who didn't like him, was the only person there who knew him, and the classroom teacher gave him a lower score. It was for some of the same reasons people have posted here. Kid wasn't inclined to do coloring sheets or word searches, which are 100% busywork. Teacher also indicated that she found the logistics of having him skipped ahead in math annoying to deal with.

My kid got in first round with very high test scores and with the application reflecting that he was taking 3rd grade AAP math in 2nd. Still, there's no magical reason as to why some highly gifted kids are given lower GBRS. Frequently, the teacher just doesn't like the kid and the kid isn't compliant with pure busywork. My kid also wins some sort of award for having actual, bonafide negative comments in his GBRS form, even though teachers are not technically allowed to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in 149 WISC-V - all subsections were high
3 new samples (realistic fiction, science oriented writing and math problem solving)
3 recommendation letters

Original submission CogAt 141, 4FO, NNAT 126 (can't remember the exact number)

No words. Beyond frustrated.

Wow. Have you considered consulting an education attorney.

I am just in shock at the moment, so haven't considered anything. Honestly, my daughter should have been admitted the first round and we thought it was a mistake. But now, I don't know what is going on. We also have an older kid in the full-time program, so we have a sense of the process and believe that the full-time AAP will serve my daughter well. Yikes.

This is how Asians feel when they receive rejection letters from colleges/universities. Shocked and frustrated.

I am the poster above. We are Asian-Americans. Didn't want to go there but since you brought it up.

Time to address the elephant in the room - is it possible candidates are being denied (or accepted) based on race?

I think there is some truth here. I’m in a unique situation where I have two children of different races. My white child had an easier time getting in with lower qualifications than my other child who I needed an appeal last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I also tend to think that behavior factors into the teacher evaluations and that parents often wayyy over estimate how quiet thoughtful helpful kind independent their child really is.

There are some really poorly behaved kids in AAP. Maybe poor behavior is overlooked for kids with IEPs or 504s, but not for other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really does seem like the GBRS carries the most weight for better or worse. Those with high WISCs need to figure out why the 3 people that did their child’s GBRS didn’t give them a higher rating (and hopefully it will be different next year). Are they flagged for Level 2 math and language arts? Are they in top reading and math groups?

It's not really a collaborative effort between 3 people. At some schools, the classroom teacher sets the score, and the rest of the committee members go along with it. At others, the AART overrides the classroom teacher. At some schools, the classroom teacher is the only one who even knows the kid. Also, some of these kids are in the top groups in everything, but are still getting lower GBRS scores.

My kids are older, but my DS was skipped ahead a grade in math, so he had a different teacher for math. He also had Level II pull outs with the reading specialist. His classroom teacher only saw him once/week for the highest reading group and never for math. Yet, neither my DS' math teacher nor the reading specialist were on the GBRS committee. Instead, the classroom teacher, who didn't like him, was the only person there who knew him, and the classroom teacher gave him a lower score. It was for some of the same reasons people have posted here. Kid wasn't inclined to do coloring sheets or word searches, which are 100% busywork. Teacher also indicated that she found the logistics of having him skipped ahead in math annoying to deal with.

My kid got in first round with very high test scores and with the application reflecting that he was taking 3rd grade AAP math in 2nd. Still, there's no magical reason as to why some highly gifted kids are given lower GBRS. Frequently, the teacher just doesn't like the kid and the kid isn't compliant with pure busywork. My kid also wins some sort of award for having actual, bonafide negative comments in his GBRS form, even though teachers are not technically allowed to do that.

I didn't even bother with AAP and had my kid skip 2 grades in the 3rd grade. Better course of action than messing with all these non-sense associated with AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in 149 WISC-V - all subsections were high
3 new samples (realistic fiction, science oriented writing and math problem solving)
3 recommendation letters

Original submission CogAt 141, 4FO, NNAT 126 (can't remember the exact number)

No words. Beyond frustrated.

Wow. Have you considered consulting an education attorney.

I am just in shock at the moment, so haven't considered anything. Honestly, my daughter should have been admitted the first round and we thought it was a mistake. But now, I don't know what is going on. We also have an older kid in the full-time program, so we have a sense of the process and believe that the full-time AAP will serve my daughter well. Yikes.

This is how Asians feel when they receive rejection letters from colleges/universities. Shocked and frustrated.

I am the poster above. We are Asian-Americans. Didn't want to go there but since you brought it up.

Time to address the elephant in the room - is it possible candidates are being denied (or accepted) based on race?

I think there is some truth here. I’m in a unique situation where I have two children of different races. My white child had an easier time getting in with lower qualifications than my other child who I needed an appeal last year.

I presume your other child is Asian.

[Anonymous]

It's also possible that each classroom teacher has a different threshold for what makes a child "Consistently observed" vs. "Frequently observed". Some classroom teachers will give every child who is advanced a very high GBRS, and maybe 6 or 7 kids out of 25 in their classroom will get into AAP. Other teachers might only give a high GBRS to that one kid who is above and beyond.

[Anonymous]

The issue is clear.
We provide a tangible and objective information; a test score. In return we get a subjective answer with no hard case for reasoning.
As long as this issue is not resolved, AAP will remain as a shady operation that is used to seggregate kids in our schools on racial basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't even bother with AAP and had my kid skip 2 grades in the 3rd grade. Better course of action than messing with all these non-sense associated with AAP.

Any kid capable of skipping a couple grades would have been bored in AAP, anyway. It has been a huge disappointment.

[Anonymous]

Other school systems make much more sense. The kids with high scores are automatically in, and the holistic reviews are only used to add a few kids to the program who might have slipped through the cracks with the testing.

[Anonymous]

Np here, and I'm shocked at these denials.

Our child got in on appeal with a WISC of 129 that was taken in-person in June. Child is a rising 4th grader and was principal placed in the third grade LLIV and got mostly 4s. GBRS was 4Cs. In Marshall pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np here, and I'm shocked at these denials.

Our child got in on appeal with a WISC of 129 that was taken in-person in June. Child is a rising 4th grader and was principal placed in the third grade LLIV and got mostly 4s. GBRS was 4Cs. In Marshall pyramid.

Which school?

[Anonymous]

My son did not get in on appeal. (Grade 3) To me, it is RIDICULOUS and I agree. DEMAND Re-evaluation. This makes NO SENSE. If there is a petition, I want to SIGN IT! I think due to Covid, less space in the programs!!!

NNAT (Dont remember but was high!)
COGAT (127)
WISC: 133 (99th Percentile)

My son is in Mensa, literally has a Patent Pending for a new game invention he created, and was recommended by a PhD who was an expert on gifted children and written text books (tutors my son) who said he is exceptionally gifted. He is an athlete, a musician, and an amazing public speaker. Does the kid have to be a CEO?

[Anonymous]

Somebody commented there may be a racial thing here. Unfortunately, I am thinking I may agree. We are Indian. So are others (Asian Americans) we know who got rejected with crazy high scores. I HATE to say this but I think they are pushing white kids forward because way too many Asians in the program who are not as qualified with scores.... There is something to this, I think and needs further evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somebody commented there may be a racial thing here. Unfortunately, I am thinking I may agree. We are Indian. So are others (Asian Americans) we know who got rejected with crazy high scores. I HATE to say this but I think they are pushing white kids forward because way too many Asians in the program who are not as qualified with scores.... There is something to this, I think and needs further evaluation.

How do we request re-evaluation? I emailed but I think more need to request a re-evaluation too. I don’t have crazy impressive scores but I know that in previous years many with lower scores got in. What is happening this year?!?