Anonymous wrote:Curious of what the pre-AAP culture is like across schools.

- Does your kid know and want AAP?

- Do they talk about it with their classmate? Do you discuss it with other parents?

- Do they and their classmates know who got in AAP and who didn't? or is everything pretty hush hush?

- If choosing center, how do they feel about switching schools?

DC will be in AAP Level IV from fall but we won't be talking about it or discussing. Ours is a center school, hence there is no discussion around changing schools either.

The parents whom I have met at birthday parties or game practices never talk about academics. So my guess is it's all hush hush.

Anonymous wrote:We are at a crazy center school. Yes, the 2nd graders discuss it there and it’s very clear which parents are insane based on what their kids say. My DD heard all the chatter and would bring it up at home — “Lara’s parents really want AAP, Charlie does workbooks for the cogat, why don’t I do workbooks?” My DS, who is completely oblivious to chatter and gossip, knew nothing about AAP until he asked why he couldn’t be in class w his best friend the summer before 3rd.

I'm at a base school and don't remember any 2nd grade chatter. Once they were in 3rd, it was public knowledge who was in AAP and who wasn't, but also a strong sense of who was struggling to keep up and who was ahead of the pack in different subjects. It's impossible to be discreet about those things when a teacher is trying to teach 25-30 kids at once.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my second-grade DS in the non-center school that even before the admission results were out, some kids were already talking about going to the center school next year because their mom said so... The second graders are already aware of who is in Advanced Math and/or English, so there's no way to hide it. Also, I received an email from the base school and the center school about their OT in the next week, and it says to bring our child. So, if you are in the same situation as me, you have to tell your kid anyway before the OT.

It's not advanced math in second grade. It's level II for English or Math or both. At our school it's just pull outs where the AART works on critical thinking for that subject, and mostly used to get good work samples for AAP packets.

Your kid must move in circles with a lot of families who put a lot of stock in AAP.

Level II looks different at some schools, there are pull outs. Our school provided worksheets and a specific group for math and LA. I am assuming that the math group discussed concepts that were not being taught to the other kids and covered on their worksheets. And yes, the kids do know who is in what groups and they do know that different groups are doing different things. They might not be able to say level II but they can say the highest math group or the highest reading group or they are doing advanced math because the kids were working on different topics.

Kids are very aware of what is happening in the classroom. They have an idea about where they fall in the group levels and the like.

You have a teacher who is good at differentiating. Make sure to thank that teacher profusely at the end of the year. In either AAP or in gen ed those teachers are so, so rare and so helpful for kids.

The kids know and talk. Some schools have break-out sessions for level II kids for math or reading, so there was already some have/have-not mentality and segregation. I put the fear of God into my child to not initiate conversations that may make other kids feel bad/left out, especially if the kids were in break-out sessions together.

By day 2, even with my gag orders, we knew at home 90% who had gotten in and who had not, even before orientation.

There's a very grey line on admissions that doesn't make sense and children I thought would be shoo-ins were not accepted, while others were a surprise. This is predominantly based on what flawed info I get from my child and own observations...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my second-grade DS in the non-center school that even before the admission results were out, some kids were already talking about going to the center school next year because their mom said so... The second graders are already aware of who is in Advanced Math and/or English, so there's no way to hide it. Also, I received an email from the base school and the center school about their OT in the next week, and it says to bring our child. So, if you are in the same situation as me, you have to tell your kid anyway before the OT.

It's not advanced math in second grade. It's level II for English or Math or both. At our school it's just pull outs where the AART works on critical thinking for that subject, and mostly used to get good work samples for AAP packets.

Your kid must move in circles with a lot of families who put a lot of stock in AAP.

Level II looks different at some schools, there are pull outs. Our school provided worksheets and a specific group for math and LA. I am assuming that the math group discussed concepts that were not being taught to the other kids and covered on their worksheets. And yes, the kids do know who is in what groups and they do know that different groups are doing different things. They might not be able to say level II but they can say the highest math group or the highest reading group or they are doing advanced math because the kids were working on different topics.

Kids are very aware of what is happening in the classroom. They have an idea about where they fall in the group levels and the like.

We never discussed, either with kids or other parents (LLIV). But in 3rd/4th grade, I started hearing them talk about it. They'd clearly picked up on it from other kids at school.

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my second-grade DS in the non-center school that even before the admission results were out, some kids were already talking about going to the center school next year because their mom said so... The second graders are already aware of who is in Advanced Math and/or English, so there's no way to hide it. Also, I received an email from the base school and the center school about their OT in the next week, and it says to bring our child. So, if you are in the same situation as me, you have to tell your kid anyway before the OT.

It's not advanced math in second grade. It's level II for English or Math or both. At our school it's just pull outs where the AART works on critical thinking for that subject, and mostly used to get good work samples for AAP packets.

Your kid must move in circles with a lot of families who put a lot of stock in AAP.

I heard from my second-grade DS in the non-center school that even before the admission results were out, some kids were already talking about going to the center school next year because their mom said so... The second graders are already aware of who is in Advanced Math and/or English, so there's no way to hide it. Also, I received an email from the base school and the center school about their OT in the next week, and it says to bring our child. So, if you are in the same situation as me, you have to tell your kid anyway before the OT.

We are at a center school so the kids know and talk about it. I remember my second grader didn’t get in and definitely felt bad. He got in on appeal.

The only discussion I know of is one of my kids asking their best friend. DC1 was in the program, DC2 really wanted to follow big sibling's footsteps, and so we told DC2 when they got in. DC2 asked their best friend. We shut that down as soon as we heard about it and DC2 didn't mention it to anyone else. Otherwise I don't remember a single kid of mine discussing it in 2nd grade before or after the admissions decisions. DC3 (current 2nd grade) doesn't even know they are in because they haven't asked. We don't need to attend the orientation, since it's kid 3 at the same center, so no need to mention it before the start of next school year.

We're at a non-center school and there's been zero discussion, as far as I'm aware. I'm pretty sure my kid doesn't know what it is, and we certainly haven't raised it with her. We'll have that talk closer to the Center orientation.

It depends on the school. But even in the schools that seem less AAP focus the kids know. I was surprised to hear DS and his friends talking one day about who was in LIII and Advanced Math and who should/shouldn't be there. Our school did not have LLIV because the Principal and most of the parents were not interested. Very few kids move to the Center.

The reality is that kids know how they are ranked in school, socially and academically, and they talk. I think it is less intense at non-Center schools and some ES because the parents are less concerned about AAP so it is not discussed with the kids at home but it is still there.

I mean, we got an email from our kids Teacher about the IAAT which included reminding the kids not to discuss their test scores because it leads to hurt feelings. So the Teacher know that the kids are discussing grades and the like.

We are at a crazy center school. Yes, the 2nd graders discuss it there and it’s very clear which parents are insane based on what their kids say. My DD heard all the chatter and would bring it up at home — “Lara’s parents really want AAP, Charlie does workbooks for the cogat, why don’t I do workbooks?” My DS, who is completely oblivious to chatter and gossip, knew nothing about AAP until he asked why he couldn’t be in class w his best friend the summer before 3rd.

I've had three kids go through AAP. I don't recall the kids talking to other kids about it. I certainly never would have brought it up as a subject because I had no idea where people stood -- whether they had wanted to get accepted, or whether they had been rejected and were appealing -- and wouldn't want to be insensitive. Plus, really no one wants to hear other people talk about AAP if they aren't in it. Talking about it would at best be boring to others, and at worst be offensive. The only way I knew who was accepted was by attending the orientation meetings, and then ultimately seeing who was in the class.

Curious of what the pre-AAP culture is like across schools.

- Does your kid know and want AAP?

- Do they talk about it with their classmate? Do you discuss it with other parents?

- Do they and their classmates know who got in AAP and who didn't? or is everything pretty hush hush?

- If choosing center, how do they feel about switching schools?