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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Aren't you all tired of beating this drum about getting rid of AAP/AAP centers? In every post possible these people run over  to dump on the program. Well guess what, even if they scrapped AAP and did flexible groups based on ability instead, the kids would still be able to tell who is in the "smart" group and who isn't and comment on it.

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I don't agree.  Flexible groups could be moved in/out of over time and kids could be grouped differently for different subjects.  Homerooms/ specials would be a complete mix.  The fully segregated class system that FCPS has implemented, based on completely subjective measures of 7 year olds does more harm than good.  The parents of the 50% of kids who get in don't complain and the other 50% of parents are completely dismissed as bitter.  So it persists.  But that doesn't make it a good way to educate, even if it helps a lot of kids/ parents feel superior.
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+1000
Flexible groupings are absolutely the solution.  No one would be permanently labeled anything - kids would cycle into and out of groups as appropriate.  It's really unbelievable to me that AAP has persisted as long as it had.  Whatever happened to the very small, very selective GT program along with flexible groupings for everyone else?[/quote]

Have you set foot in an FCPS elementary classroom? 1) 50% of students are not in AAP 2) [b]there’s absolutely no way teachers are going to successfully implement differentiated teaching and identify students to regularly cycle through flexible groupings in class sizes of 28+. [/b]In theory, sure, sounds great. In practice, never going to happen. My kid couldn’t even get a math worksheet with higher level content she was begging her teacher for. “I’m sorry, I have nothing more to give you” is what she was told. Flexible groupings. lol. [/quote]

DP, but this is exactly what I had to do when I taught in another district. Granted I did have a TA, which is key to making this work. Also, they actually followed IEPs in my old district, so all the sped kids were fully supported, which makes a huge difference. But yes. I had 30 kids in an inclusion class. Taught the main lesson at grade level. Broke kids off into 4 differentiated groups for independent work - above grade level, at grade level, below grade level, sped. I would support a group. TA would support a group. 2 groups were truly independent. We would rotate daily.  Each group had a different criteria for evaluation. This was followed up with a daily challenge of some sort depending on the subject. All kids were encouraged to try it. Groups were flexible.
But I tend to agree with you. It would never happen in cluster like FCPS. [/quote]

Kudos - you went over and beyond your minimum expectations, and are an experienced teacher with the support (TA) necessary to implement this approach.  I wish there were hundreds of you and you were teaching my child!  You already acknowledged FCPS shortfalls in this area, so not an attack on you, but more of a re-iteration... Expecting this type of basic support is folly - Teachers are generally not as experienced or willing (much less compensated) to do the extra up-front work necessary to [b]teach 4 simultaneous class experiences,[/b] especially on top of all of the other requirements and "training" that FCPS levies on them!  [/quote]

Not even one person has suggested this.  You two need to read more carefully.[/quote]

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