Reply to Too many in AAP and the new F.A.T.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]If there is such little difference in the curriculum, what would the problem be with offering to everyone? [/quote]

AAP is not that difficult or challenging compared to the baseline progam but being in a peer group of eclectic, bright, accademically motivated kids makes a huge difference. 
[/quote]

ES teacher here. My experience has been that we over identify students for AAP. Last year, 1/3 of my third graders were pulled weekly for school based AAP. That's not counting those who left for the center. It doesn't seem to be very difficult to qualify for AAP. For example, I had a student new to FCPS last year. A week after AAP students started to be pulled from my classroom, I received an email saying that X Student would begin AAP the next week. When I asked how he qualified (no screening, teacher input, etc.), the answer was, "His ____ score was high enough".  That was it.

The County has a BIG push for all students to be remediated and enriched within their own classroom. The new teacher evaluation process requires us to show how each and every child is improving. We should not be teaching to the middle of the class. [b]If every child's education can be enriched within their base classroom, I see no need to continue with AAP centers[/b].

The first I heard of this FAT placement test was in this thread. Perhaps I'll hear more about it once we return to work next week.[/quote]

Personalized education? Sounds great. [b]But, with so many kids in each class, how to do you get it done?[/b][/quote]

PP here. That's a good question. It has become tougher that past few years, and will continue to get tougher with the new progress reports, but this is what FCPS is pushing. Standards will continually be retaught to those who are not demonstrating mastery, while we continue with the curriculum according to the Pacing Guide. Those who already "get it" will have their instruction enriched. Actually, by FCPS's expectations, all students are receiving enrichment. Starting this year, 40% of a teacher's evaluation will be based on student progress, not on the SOLs, but on the students' SMARTR goals. Maybe another teacher can weigh in, but last year I became overwhelmed with the prepping, assessing, and record keeping required for each student.[/quote]

Really?  I have a rising 2nd grader and have been somewhat frustrated with the lack of differentiation/progress made during the year.  Her 1st grade teacher was wonderful, but I would get reports like "DC scored at this DRA, it is very likely higher, but I am only allowed to test up to that level at this point in the year."  That kind of thing bothered me - why the ceiling?  To the school's credit, DC was pulled out weekly for math and reading, but I felt like it was very little advanced exposure/instruction.  It took a couple of months from the start of school for the pull outs to begin and then they ended at 6 weeks or so before the year ended - so it was a hour or two a week and not the whole school year.   The math curriculum seemed not much more than what they did in K.  [/quote]

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