Reply to Why did you put your child in AAP?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As others note -- for the challenge. I would add: We recently heard a very good presentation (at a middle school, for rising 7th graders' parents) about how teachers taught differently for different groups. For instance, in a general ed history class, the student might have to write a biographical research paper of a certain length. In honors class, a student would do the same but would be expected to write a longer, more detailed paper with more sources. And in AAP, the student would do all the above, but also be expected to write to a theme of "How would this historical figure handle one of today's problems" -- such as, how would Teddy Roosevelt respond to the Arab Spring, for instance (that example is mine). You can see the difference -- the curriculum is the same; the level of depth and expectation is not. I found that and other examples very helpful in understanding what the differences are between general ed, honors and AAP. [/quote]

The students in the gen ed classes could also have the opportunity to write to a theme.  In some clusters, they are applying the AAP approach to the gen ed.  This is how they are now doing it in McLean.  At one of the presentations last year regarding the possibility of opening new AAP centers in every middle school, the presenter said their was no distinction between honors and AAP in midddle school.  Now, the students in the AAP classes as a whole have tested higher on IQ tests and have performed at a higher level in class.  Their ability to actually write to the theme would be greater.  Their work product is probably as a whole better.  However, FCPS is moving towards all students have access to the AAP standards. [/quote]

I posted the example above to which you responded. Of course general ed students could write to a theme; I'm just giving the simplified examples used on one school's parent night.

We also attended a parent information night for a middle school with honors classes but not an AAP center. The principal emphasized how "ALL students take honors social studies and science!" Yes, everyone in one grade is in the honors classes in two subjects.  A parent asked how that worked -- how did teachers deal with kids working at different speeds and needing different levels of challenge in the same "honors' classroom? The principal only mentioned "the teachers will differentiate in the classroom." Many parents were confused and wondered how the classes are honors if everyone takes them whether they choose to or not. (Honors in MS is self-selecting and kids can choose to take it -- it's not like AAP where the kids qualify. That's fine, but if all kids MUST do honors, then...how is it honors if some kids don't want to be in it in the first place?) It smacked of the school wanting to project a certain image by being able to say "all our kids take honors classes."

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