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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]People suck. I help my high schooler with math all the time. Does that mean she belongs in a lower level? If a child is able to do challenging work with some extra hard work (and it isn’t damaging their mental health/stressing them out), isn’t that how people do well in life? By putting it work? AAP isn’t just for kids for whom everything comes naturally. It’s for kids who want to excel and can persevere.[/quote]

AAP is for kids in grade 3-8, AAP math runs grades 3-6. Most of the people I know who needed tutoring in ES were struggling with the math portion. The only advanced element in AAP in ES is math, everything else might dive deeper but really, not by that much. Kids who are struggling with the math in AAP in ES are holding back the kids who are able to do the math and are looking for a challenge. But they don't get that because the teacher needs to work with the kids who are grade level in math so that they can keep up with the accelerated math.

There is also a difference in needing some help from a parent and requiring an hour or so of help from a specialist

Challenging yourself is great but if that challenge requires a tutor to keep up then you might be in over your head. I say this as a kid who struggled with math and never did any type of honors math classes. It is ok to be at grade level. The AAP mania that exists in some schools is crazy enough that there are parents who do send their kids to math centers so they learn the material in advance and can do well in class or pay for multiple hours of tutoring because they want their kid in the accelerated program. There is a pressure there that is unreasonable for their kids all in the name of being advanced. [/quote]

This is incorrect.  The claim that AAP is “only advanced in math” is contradicted by FCPS’s own program description. FCPS states that Part‑Time AAP (Level III) provides “advanced curriculum in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies” depending on student need, and that Full‑Time AAP (Level IV) delivers “full‑day advanced instruction across content areas.”
Source: FCPS Advanced Academics Overview — https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academics
Source: AAP Levels of Service — https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academics/advanced-academic-program-aap-overview

This directly refutes the idea that math is the only accelerated component. FCPS also emphasizes that AAP instruction is built around depth, complexity, critical and creative thinking, and differentiated instruction — not single‑subject acceleration.

The argument also collapses under FCPS’s explicit inclusion of twice‑exceptional (2E) students within AAP. FCPS defines 2E learners as students who are both gifted and have disabilities, and states that AAP and Special Education staff “collaborate to meet the needs of twice‑exceptional students” through coordinated services.
Source: FCPS Twice‑Exceptional (2E) Learners — https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/special-education-instruction/twice-exceptional-2e

This means uneven academic profiles or the need for targeted support are not disqualifying — they are anticipated and accommodated. The claim that students requiring help “should not be in AAP” is therefore inconsistent with FCPS policy, which frames AAP placement as an instructional match, not a reward for uniform strength across all subjects.
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Iep supports are not for those academically behind or unable, but because a kid has some other disregulation.  Disability does not equal unable to do or in need of tutoring [/quote]

Agreed. FCPS explicitly recognizes 2e learners and many of them thrive in AAP while receiving supports for regulation, attention, or processing needs. Disability does not equal unable, and it also does not mean a student should avoid tutoring. A student can be fully capable of advanced academic work and still benefit from targeted support, just as a neurotypical student might.

It’s also inaccurate to imply that tutoring signals misplacement. FCPS is not anti‑tutoring — that misconception comes from a segment of misinformed parents, not the school system. FCPS actually provides free tutoring through Tutor.com and even maintains a list of FCPS teachers available for private tutoring.

Given the scale of COVID learning loss, the rapid increase in technology‑based instruction, and ongoing curriculum and standards changes, there is no harm in tutoring for any student in any class. Tutoring is a support, not a diagnosis.

The claim that needing help means a child “shouldn’t be in AAP” is inconsistent with FCPS policy, inconsistent with how learning works, and inconsistent with the realities of post‑pandemic education.[/quote]

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