Those of you with kids in both AAP and gen ed...

[Anonymous]

How drastic is the difference in education and peer group. My first is in AAP and it’s a good fit. My second one is bright and in advanced math, but otherwise gen ed. Have you noticed major differences in both ES and middle school?

[Anonymous]

Drastic differences. Gen ed they teach nothing. AAP was too much for one of my kids but Gen Ed was a joke. I really wish there was something in between. Gen ed was such a disservice to my child who did not need AAP-level of challenge but did need to actually learn something in the classroom. Maybe the issue was our particular ES but there was a huge gulf at our school. Like they were teaching AAP kids 2 grade levels ahead and the Gen ed they were doing basically nothing. No HW, no reading, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This is my fear. That my child will be completely neglected in gen ed. But she doesn’t realistically belong in full time AAP either. Are you supplementing?

[Anonymous]

I had a child in both as well and the difference is major. My general ed child doesn't learn half of what my AAP child learned in the same school and in the same grades. My general Ed child also never had any homework ever. My AAP child in ES had it every night. They also never mingled the AAP kids with the gen ed kids. So the peer groups were gen ed kids with gen ed kids and AAP with AAP. They remained with their AAP friends in their AAP classes in middle.

[Anonymous]

Can’t tell- older in aap and we put the second in immersion- which is frankly a better skill than aap in elementary.

[Anonymous]

I have only 1 kid who is in a center school in Gen Ed Level 3 and Advanced Math. So can’t speak about AAP class. Gen ed is fine at this school but there is a vast difference in the peer groups in gen ed homeroom and Advanced Math class. The teacher is very patient but some of the gen ed kids are unbelievably slow in understanding and the teacher is having to explain over and over again. This makes it boring for the other kids who have to sit through it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a child in both as well and the difference is major. My general ed child doesn't learn half of what my AAP child learned in the same school and in the same grades. My general Ed child also never had any homework ever. My AAP child in ES had it every night. They also never mingled the AAP kids with the gen ed kids. So the peer groups were gen ed kids with gen ed kids and AAP with AAP. They remained with their AAP friends in their AAP classes in middle.

Do the differences persist in high school?

[Anonymous]

I really wish there could be some kind of middle ground. My childhood didn't have full time AAP/ GT but they ability grouped kids in Reading and Math from kindergarten through 6th grade. The kids who were above grade level didn't have to wait for the others to catch up, and the ones who were behind had a resource teacher who assisted the regular classroom teacher during the classes. I have a kid in AAP and two who aren't. The two who aren't may not be AAP material but they could definitely use more acceleration.

[Anonymous]

OP here. And I think this is why many parents are desperate to get their kids in AAP. The gen ed one is in AAP level 3 but besides advanced math, it doesn’t seem to mean much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have only 1 kid who is in a center school in Gen Ed Level 3 and Advanced Math. So can’t speak about AAP class. Gen ed is fine at this school but there is a vast difference in the peer groups in gen ed homeroom and Advanced Math class. The teacher is very patient but some of the gen ed kids are unbelievably slow in understanding and the teacher is having to explain over and over again. This makes it boring for the other kids who have to sit through it.

How do you know this?

Parents generally have aged out of elementary school math. You have no idea which kids the teachers have to be patient with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have only 1 kid who is in a center school in Gen Ed Level 3 and Advanced Math. So can’t speak about AAP class. Gen ed is fine at this school but there is a vast difference in the peer groups in gen ed homeroom and Advanced Math class. The teacher is very patient but some of the gen ed kids are unbelievably slow in understanding and the teacher is having to explain over and over again. This makes it boring for the other kids who have to sit through it.

How do you know this?

Parents generally have aged out of elementary school math. You have no idea which kids the teachers have to be patient with.

DP. This year, we can attend school with our children. For our younger DC, DH and I have had to attend school with our children.

[Anonymous]

Op, you don't want this. One child is already labeled, "the smart one"

[Anonymous]

Of course there are differences. The peer group is most different.

Both my kids are in AAP and they do not get mixed with gen Ed kids. It is like a segregated school at their AAP center.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid in AAP and another in gen ed. I'd say that it really depends on the teacher. My AAP kid has stayed at local school for level IV services and his teachers have been terrible. The gen ed teachers for my daughter, on the other hand, have been far more responsive and engaging with both her and the whole class. DD has had less homework than AAP kid but with the level of teaching that I've seen in AAP classes, I'm not sure that she's missing much.

[Anonymous]

AAP has also changed over the years. I thought both gen ed and AAP were stronger about six years ago.