OP here. Thank you all for this info/advice, it helps

Anonymous wrote:Before the change to local standards, the county-wide cutoff for in-pool was about 132. If you have somewhere close to that, adjusting for your DC's peer group, you should think about AAP.

Over half of the kids admitted to AAP weren't in pool. The conventional wisdom from my school's AART was that if you think your child would benefit from AAP and you want your child considered, you should do a parent referral. Whether or not you think the scores are too low shouldn't enter into the decision, since you never know what might resonate with the committee and cause them to admit your child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there some understood number below which it is definitely very unlikely to get AAP admission? I understand it's a holistic decision, etc., but is there some conventional wisdom on the cutoffs for the test scores?

This is all anecdata. I know of kids who were admitted to AAP with NNAT scores below 100. I also know of kids who were admitted to AAP with CogAT composite scores in the 115-120 range. I don't know of anyone being admitted with CogAT composite scores below 115. So, IME CogAT composite scores below 115 are too low to be in the ballpark for AAP.

Anecdotally, one of my kids was admitted with both Cogat and NNAT above 136 and my other kid was admitted with NNAT of 105 and no Cogat due to covid. He was rejected first round and admitted on appeal, fwiw. Iready scores were all 95th (math) and 98th (reading) percentile - he's not a mathy kid so the NNAT wasn't a surprise.

Mine, too (the lower score one). They got all 4s in class, pass advanced in SOL, and 90+ percentile in Iready.
Some kids are not great test takers (pre-AAP) and they have to work at it. It doesn't mean they are not smart enough for AAP.

Anonymous wrote:Before the change to local standards, the county-wide cutoff for in-pool was about 132. If you have somewhere close to that, adjusting for your DC's peer group, you should think about AAP.

I tend to agree with this advice as a general matter

Before the change to local standards, the county-wide cutoff for in-pool was about 132. If you have somewhere close to that, adjusting for your DC's peer group, you should think about AAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there some understood number below which it is definitely very unlikely to get AAP admission? I understand it's a holistic decision, etc., but is there some conventional wisdom on the cutoffs for the test scores?

This is all anecdata. I know of kids who were admitted to AAP with NNAT scores below 100. I also know of kids who were admitted to AAP with CogAT composite scores in the 115-120 range. I don't know of anyone being admitted with CogAT composite scores below 115. So, IME CogAT composite scores below 115 are too low to be in the ballpark for AAP.

Anecdotally, one of my kids was admitted with both Cogat and NNAT above 136 and my other kid was admitted with NNAT of 105 and no Cogat due to covid. He was rejected first round and admitted on appeal, fwiw. Iready scores were all 95th (math) and 98th (reading) percentile - he's not a mathy kid so the NNAT wasn't a surprise.

No NNAT is too low if Cogat score is high.

Anonymous wrote:Is there some understood number below which it is definitely very unlikely to get AAP admission? I understand it's a holistic decision, etc., but is there some conventional wisdom on the cutoffs for the test scores?

This is all anecdata. I know of kids who were admitted to AAP with NNAT scores below 100. I also know of kids who were admitted to AAP with CogAT composite scores in the 115-120 range. I don't know of anyone being admitted with CogAT composite scores below 115. So, IME CogAT composite scores below 115 are too low to be in the ballpark for AAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything is possible - there is no FCPS cutoff. It really depends on the school and how many kids are being evaluated.

Also, at high SES schools where high scores are required for AAP, the regular classroom is basically the same as AAP because there are so many high performing kids.

No, the GenEd classroom in high SES schools is not basically the same AAP at all. We’re at such a school with kids in both. There is a difference, despite admin claiming GenEd it is exactly the same.

That's what all the admins say to get parents to stop pestering them about AAP LIV. The biggest difference you see between LIV and Gen Ed is math and language arts are accelerated. It is not the same. If you feel your child will do well in LIV, definitely submit good work samples and test prep. IN HIGH TO MID SES SCHOOLS, EVERY FAMILY DOES. Don't listen to this forum.

This. It seems like some on the forum are hellbent on convincing others that high SES kids do fine anywhere, gen ed is the same in high SES school, etc., etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything is possible - there is no FCPS cutoff. It really depends on the school and how many kids are being evaluated.

Also, at high SES schools where high scores are required for AAP, the regular classroom is basically the same as AAP because there are so many high performing kids.

No, the GenEd classroom in high SES schools is not basically the same AAP at all. We’re at such a school with kids in both. There is a difference, despite admin claiming GenEd it is exactly the same.

That's what all the admins say to get parents to stop pestering them about AAP LIV. The biggest difference you see between LIV and Gen Ed is math and language arts are accelerated. It is not the same. If you feel your child will do well in LIV, definitely submit good work samples and test prep. IN HIGH TO MID SES SCHOOLS, EVERY FAMILY DOES. Don't listen to this forum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything is possible - there is no FCPS cutoff. It really depends on the school and how many kids are being evaluated.

Also, at high SES schools where high scores are required for AAP, the regular classroom is basically the same as AAP because there are so many high performing kids.

No, the GenEd classroom in high SES schools is not basically the same AAP at all. We’re at such a school with kids in both. There is a difference, despite admin claiming GenEd it is exactly the same.

Anonymous wrote:Anything is possible - there is no FCPS cutoff. It really depends on the school and how many kids are being evaluated.

Also, at high SES schools where high scores are required for AAP, the regular classroom is basically the same as AAP because there are so many high performing kids.

Anything is possible - there is no FCPS cutoff. It really depends on the school and how many kids are being evaluated.

It depends on what the top 10% scores are at your kids school. A 118 is strong enough at some schools but far less likely to get you in at a high SES school. I would guess that scores below 120 are far less likely in general but it is not a hard cut off.

Is there some understood number below which it is definitely very unlikely to get AAP admission? I understand it's a holistic decision, etc., but is there some conventional wisdom on the cutoffs for the test scores?