Reply to What’s the big fuss about AAP?

Forum Index » Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)

Reply to "What’s the big fuss about AAP?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There's always someone left out.  When that someone has monetary means and a voice to complain/advocate, it gets attention.  Wherever they draw the line, people will complain.

Essentially, there's no winning in this argument, if we can even call it an argument.[/quote]

Absolutely, that's just how things work. No matter what, a selection process will never be 100% accurate and give those AAP spots out to the people most qualified, some who don't deserve it will get those spots. People will always complain no matter what[/quote]
Then why not at least make it objective so there isn't an option for bias or favors?[/quote]

College submissions have some degree of subjectivity as well. [/quote]

College admissions have a limited number of slots and have a completely different goal than gifted education.  Some degree of subjectivity is fine, but the current model is rejecting kids with 99th percentile scores when the teacher doesn't like the kid.

The most logical system would automatically admit kids above a specified score threshold on whatever ability or achievement tests they wish to use.  Then, kids below the threshold could apply and be holistically admitted through teacher ratings and portfolios.  [/quote]

Not that I disagree (particularly since my child is a great online test-taker), but this will encourage test preparation even more than previously. Though in my own mind personally, even with prepping, if a student can score 99 percentile, they've proven to me to be capable to be in AAP.  [/quote]

Sure, but it's a lot easier to prep your child to suck up to the teacher than it is to prep them to a 98th percentile+ score.  For what AAP is, it would make the most sense to just use an achievement test.  The kids who are above grade level in both math and language arts should be in AAP.  The kids above grade level in only language arts should place into the AAP classroom for language arts and in a gen ed one for math.  The kids above grade level in only math should get advanced math.  Some small number of kids who didn't test at above grade level could appeal, and based on the teacher's recommendation + a portfolio review could be placed anyway.  There would be a lot less angst, and none of the insanity where AAP teachers have to deal with kids who are below grade level, while above grade level gen ed kids are told that they can't get advanced math or an above grade level reading group.  [/quote]

This would only work if the entire grade level team (all teachers) taught LA at the same exact time, math at the same exact time, etc. this is often done at a local level IV. It requires all team members teaching all subjects. But many elementary schools have grade level teams that departmentalize beginning in 4th grade (one teacher only teaches math, one does LA, one does SS/Sci.) so this would not be possible.[/quote]

I'm always going to support a student's right to access the appropriate level of instruction over an elementary school teacher's desire to only teach one subject.  If a school can't possibly figure out how to deliver advanced language arts instruction to all kids who need it as well as advanced math to all who qualify, then the school shouldn't departmentalize.

FWIW, my kids' school didn't departmentalize at all until 6th grade.  In 6th, math wasn't departmentalized, and the other subjects only were to some degree.  They also clustered all of the advanced language arts kids in the same classroom to facilitate appropriate instruction.  It worked fine.  It's not exactly rocket science for each ES teacher to handle all or most of the ES subjects.  In many ways, it worked better for math, since the school could provide more instructional levels.  One class was advanced math.  One was kind of between grade level and advanced math.  One was purely grade level.  One was grade level with heavy ESOL support.  And one was below grade level with the resource teacher.  Every child could switch into the most appropriate class for their needs.

If a school is creative, I think they could make instructional levels like this work even with departmentalization.  They could group students into homerooms based on instructional needs.  They could semi-departmentalize, where some teachers handle both math and science while others handle both language arts and history.  They could utilize the AART or resource teachers as additional teachers or support.  [/quote]

It’s way more work for the teachers to have to teach all subjects after years of not doing this, especially LA. Not going to happen. Also, it’s possible the special ed kids need to be together so the special Ed teacher can go in one class. If there are 5 difference classes of LA, the special Ed teacher wouldn’t be able to meet with all her kids in one spot.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics