Reply to What really IS the point of AAP?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I posted previously, but I think there is a unnecessary forced scarcity to this program.  There are more deserving kids than there are slots, which sends parents into a tizzy.  Level III should be expanded and made more substantive -- something that would take the pressure off of Level IV.  Level II is a joke and something most teachers try to do anyway.  
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I agree but this won't happen county-wide because it's too close to tracking. It would make a lot of sense to move all kids around to different classrooms for core subjects based on ability at the elementary level but there would be a ton of pushback. [/quote]

I understand that grouping kids based on ability isn't the current education norm, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work if done right (challenging work for all, make sure kids continue to push forward on all levels, etc).  Again, we're just asking too much of teachers too.  If you have kids below grade level, at grade level, above and way above... they will teach to below and at grade level.  Kids above grade level are ignored and thus why people go nuts about AAP. [/quote]

Tracking is often permanent because it's hard to catch when you fall behind progressively more every year by design and when deciding on how to group in following years the status quo almost always wins. All you do is put the pressure of getting into AAP on whatever year tracking is decided and move it from the central committee to the principal [/quote]

I'm asking this seriously and not to be argumentative -- Let's remove AAP level IV from the equation for a moment.  Couldn't you use the SOLs and plethora of other testing to move groups around to have an actual robust level II and level III program? Theoretically, those programs are some level of "tracking."

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you could do that now, move kids in an out of levels based on SOLs and other scores, but the county has decided that once a kid is in they are in. Is there any reason to believe that tracking would be different.

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You say they fall behind more progressively, but isn't this an opportunity to focus on those students and make sure they are all having their needs met to reach goals and targets.  In our sports crazed country, we would never look at a group of fast runners or swimmers and tell them to slow down so others could catch up.  We may get additional coaching/training for the slower group, find the race or style that works best for that athlete, but we wouldn't slow everyone down.     [/quote]

None of what you describe happens in public elementary schools. Meanwhile, missing placement in advanced math in third means that by fourth you are a quarter year behind, placed at the start of 5th means a half year behind, placed at the start of 6th means a full year behind. That's how tracking works, it isn't some system where kids can freely move up and down because the gap is designed to widen every year.  [/quote]

DP.  Some kids start AAP and/or Advanced Math after 3rd grade, in 4th or 5th or 6th grade.  They're "a year behind" in math but since it all spirals, it's not hard for them.  MS and HS math is a bit different, kids cannot just skip Algebra 2 or Geometry (although some kids take Geometry during the summer).  But in ES, they can.[/quote]

Math spirals, and strong kids can jump up anytime.  My child had quite a lot of kids jump up into her gen Ed advanced math class at the beginning of 5th, and even a couple more jumped up at the start of 6th.  They used SOL scores + teacher recommendations to decide which kids to place in the advanced class.  Kids in regular math who earned very high SOL scores and teacher support tended to do well in the advanced class.  [/quote]

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