Reply to No separate AAP student track in FCPS high schools, right?

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Reply to "No separate AAP student track in FCPS high schools, right?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
So what then? How would this perfect world of differentiation work in detail with a smaller group of advanced students being labeled GT?[/quote]

It's actually pretty simple.  Most AAP kids are only about 1 year advanced in each subject.  That can be handled in gen ed through flexible grouping and switching classes, like they already do for math.  AAP should be saved for kids who need to be instructed 2 or more years above grade level.  [/quote]

It's actually not that simple. A friend of mine had to switch her child to a center because the school decided not to offer compacted math. On this board we read about it all the time that schools, particularly with high FARMS rates, do not offer advanced services in math and other subjects. Even at the LLII and LLIII level advanced services are often not offered.

Then you have the teachers coming on board saying their plate is too full and it's impossible to differentiate and parents complaining that there is no real differentiation happening. Eventually the parents leave for private or leave the area, or homeschool if they are dissatisfied. Or the teachers leave because the workload is too much. Or the school goes to quickly for a child and the parents complain their child is too stressed and if they can't get that resolved they also leave for private, another area, or homeschool.

I'm sure there are better ways to deal with differentiation than AAP, but so far I haven't actually seen it work well in practice. Since you have an idea, please drill down to the details of how it would work in all ranges of schools in FCPS from the 90% FARMS rates to the 5% FARMS rate schools. And what is the AART's role in this change?[/quote]

Sure.  Since you asked me to drill down to the details if I were in charge of FCPS:  Kids could be designated as Level III (corresponding to 1 grade level ahead and 95th percentile-ish+) or Level IV (2+ grade levels ahead, &gt;99th percentile) per subject, based on achievement scores, ability scores, and teacher referral.  If the base school has enough Level III kids in a subject, then those kids should take the class at the base school.  Homerooms would be mixed ability, with kids switching classes for math and language arts (like they already do for math).  If a school does not have enough Level III kids, then those kids should have the option to attend the center.  In places like McLean, only the Level IV kids would be center eligible, since about half of the grade would be Level III.  In the eastern parts of the county and/or high FARMs schools, Level III kids would attend the center, since there wouldn't be enough to run the advanced classes.  The Level III curriculum would look like AAP as it is now, and the Level IV would be more advanced than AAP.  This would also help the gen ed kids who are advanced in one subject but not the other, as it would guarantee services in their area of strength.  Science could be bundled with math as part of that block, and social studies could similarly be bundled with language arts.

The other, much simpler option would be to make AAP for only the top 10-ish percent of kids [b]by pyramid[/b].  [/quote]

So in some pyramids the center would house LLIV and LLIII kids and really nothing would change except maybe more kids would go to the center and in others just the LLIV kids and those centers would decrease. Level 2 services would be offered at the base schools for those that qualify which is differentiation by subject. Except that perhaps math and science would be grouped similarly and so would language arts and social studies. So potentially then some kids could still be in an advanced class in every subject. The AART then would not be needed in schools or on a more part time basis. [/quote]

DP.  So instead of a two-track system there would be a three-track system of base schools that switch subjects, center schools for Level III kids, and central center schools for the "real" Level IV kids.  And that sounds better to you?[/quote]

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