We went through the process this fall. From my understanding, your work samples better showcase critical thinking and some creativities. Also they better cover all four subjects: ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. However, I didn't prepare anything for Science and Social Studies for DC. We didn't have any. We submitted one poem (to show creativity and ELA skills). Another sample is a math problem, DC draw some graphs and show the thinking process (math and critical thinking). If I can submit more, I'll probably have DC write book reports on books on Science or Social Studies related topics, which could show writing skills as well as subjects excellences.

Will you please link to "what did the student get wrong" math problems on Teachers Pay Teachers? I searched on this and other similar terms and couldn't find anything. I could be thinking differently about this than the person that suggested it! Thanks.

3rd grade

What grade?

Thanks this is all very helpful!

Can't help you from a summer application standpoint but I have 2 kids in AAP and here are some thoughts based on what we submitted for them.

The committee wants to see that your child is a creative/productive thinker in multiple subject areas. Google "outside the box" worksheets and have your child complete one good sample from there (this is the kind of thing the AART gives current FCPS 2nd grade students to create school-based samples). Have your child write a short story in their own handwriting - we submitted one my child created in 15 min. Do they have any projects from last year that were done on the computer that you could email the teacher to get? Possibly a slideshow from a research project or something similar? If not, maybe DC could write up a summary of a historical person or topic they worked on this year. Submit a sample that shows an interest in science -- Maybe an experiment they completed and they can draw a diagram or picture showing the results. Perhaps showcase the questions they asked and what were trying to solve through the experiment. For math, scores show a lot but on a sample they want to see the thought process of how your child approaches a problem.

On all samples, you can write a couple sentences telling the committee what you're wanting them to see in each sample. Look at the GBRS for guidance.

Hope that helps!

Anonymous wrote:Samples from the previous school year. Sorry, but you need to demonstrate your child needs and is capable of a somewhat accelerated curriculum. While art projects and Lego structures are great supplements, the committee needs to see some academic work.

Could you “fake” a math test? Meaning, write out six or seven math problems and have your child solve them and show their work? Could they write a short story?

It can't just be a math test. The committee needs to see how your child thinks through problems and regular math problems won't do it. Word problems get closer, but if it's just straight arithmetic being shown, it's not going to show much (or how much parents coached the kid).

My child's home samples (we were limited to two pages since they were enrolled in FCPS) were some block coding work they did through a summer camp that was a creative story, some "what did the student get wrong" math problems I found on Teachers Pay Teachers, and a creative project and oral narrative related to a book series my kid was into.

Samples from the previous school year. Sorry, but you need to demonstrate your child needs and is capable of a somewhat accelerated curriculum. While art projects and Lego structures are great supplements, the committee needs to see some academic work.

Could you “fake” a math test? Meaning, write out six or seven math problems and have your child solve them and show their work? Could they write a short story?

We just moved into Fairfax County and are applying for immediate placement. We can submit up to 5 pages of work samples but I'm not sure what to include since we didn't save work samples from last year. What do people applying over the summer typically include?