For those who think that behavior problems do not exist in the AAP classes, just wait. Or better yet, just read through some of the fairly recent and very long threads on the issue.

To me, the issue is not 20% vs 10%, it is not having the bottom 20%. Because of NCLB requirements, teachers have to teach to them as they all have to pass. That will slow down and dumb down the entire classroom. By putting the top 20% in one classroom, all the kids should get the minimum standards, and the teacher can focus on teaching. And they can give work which is challenging to the 3% without worrying about losing the lower performing students.

I saw that the second grade teacher had to spend about 20% of her day with only 5 students....

Maybe because it feels shitty when your kids don't even make top 20%?

ITA. Our DC has been in classes with behind and disruptive students. It really was distracting and made school unchallenging.

Anonymous wrote:

Peer group matters immensely in middle school and high school. I think kids being a part of a highly motivated peer group makes a whole lot of difference with regard to how they view academic work and apply themselves to the work. I don't blame parents wanting to have their kids surrounded by other academically inclined and motivated students.

+1

Peer group matters immensely in middle school and high school. I think kids being a part of a highly motivated peer group makes a whole lot of difference with regard to how they view academic work and apply themselves to the work. I don't blame parents wanting to have their kids surrounded by other academically inclined and motivated students.

+1

I'm guessing your kids aren't of age for Kumon either. All day in school plus accelerated work at home makes for one long academic day.

OP, i'm not in FFX and kid is too young for AAP (about to start K). Part of the reason I'm worried about what the schools will do for our kid is that he's really, really smart and I want him to be challenged in the place he spends the most time during the day. We can supplement, as we do now, but I'm concerned about what he will do all day when his peers are learning things he can already do -- started reading on his own at 4, doing math for fun and seems to understand the basics of multiplication and division. we don't push him, but he's curious and we want to encourage that. we can't do it all on our own, so we want the school to help.

Anonymous wrote:But AAP is no longer a "gifted program"! At least 20% of last year's 2nd grade class was accepted. Are there that many "gifted" kids in this county?

It depends on how you define gifted. I would not be surprised to find out that the county on average is about .75 standard deviation above the national average. That means the average IQ would be about 110, and about 20% would have IQ's above 120. Is 120 gifted? I do not know, but it is smart.

Anonymous wrote:But AAP is no longer a "gifted program"! At least 20% of last year's 2nd grade class was accepted. Are there that many "gifted" kids in this county?

we have a lot of highly educated parents in this area, so it would make sense that we would have more kids that would test gifted based on standardized test scores. Being profoundly gifted is a different story, of course.

My kids are not at the age for AAP or whatever it is, but I figure if one or both qualifies and wants it great, if they don't qualify, it's NBD. From what I hear there are plenty of bright and academic kids in the non-gifted program classes. I could understand a parent wanting it for small classes or for a peer group who hopefully are more nerdy (I'm a nerd so this is no insult), but class size is no longer smaller right?

My older child probably won't qualify if language skills have to be as high as quanititative, but he loves math with a passion and he is advanced due to his own ability and interest-we didn't push him. I figure he will guide me. If he wants extra enrichment, we'll find it for him with Kumon or a math club or something. I don't worry at all about him being bored. We can teach him stuff at home. I don't think he will be stifled if he doesn't qualify for a gifted program. Colleges don't care.

Am I missing something?

Yes, self confidence. Does it bother what and how other parents guide their children? (e.g., lacrosse, cub scouts, gymnastics, church, swimming or the gifted program)

But AAP is no longer a "gifted program"! At least 20% of last year's 2nd grade class was accepted. Are there that many "gifted" kids in this county?

Anonymous wrote: ...

Am I missing something?

Peer group matters immensely in middle school and high school. I think kids being a part of a highly motivated peer group makes a whole lot of difference with regard to how they view academic work and apply themselves to the work. I don't blame parents wanting to have their kids surrounded by other academically inclined and motivated students.

I would expect that those people with clearly average children do it for status and because their children are accessories, not full human beings.

I can imagine the parent of a highly gifted child being pretty obsessed because very gifted children can have serious problems if they aren't challenged and properly supported.

Giftedness is a risk factor. My daughter is not highly gifted, but she is at the level where she is unlikely to have cognitive peers in her class, and that's been the reality the last few years. The other kids can't always relate, and in the past, adults responded to her verbal ability as though her emotional age were equivalent.

The result can be never feeling heard or understood, and I worry about social issues and depression. She clearly feels much freer and happier around other kids who get her, and there are more of those in the gifted program. Also, the lack of challenge can cause her to disengage and fall behind, and that's been a struggle. It's sadly familiar - I spent most of my school years painfully bored and never learned to work as hard as I needed to because the material came to me quickly and apparently by osmosis.

It's not a good thing, and ultimately meant hating and resisting the whole process and just not being willing to slog anymore once I didn't have to. I dropped out of college - a lot of gifted kids do - and didn't go back for a long time.

Posting again to say I ask based on people I know IRL. If the child didn't qualify one way, they try different routes-WISC, teacher help and other stuff. They push and push. I don't want to offend and ask them why on earth they are pushing the kid if the kid isn't interested and in one case the child was solidly average accross the board. (Average kid got in to the gifted program despite test scores by the way. They prepped him for some test. I'm thinking maybe it's for the peer group in his case, because he really isn't excited about academics.

My kids are not at the age for AAP or whatever it is, but I figure if one or both qualifies and wants it great, if they don't qualify, it's NBD. From what I hear there are plenty of bright and academic kids in the non-gifted program classes. I could understand a parent wanting it for small classes or for a peer group who hopefully are more nerdy (I'm a nerd so this is no insult), but class size is no longer smaller right?

My older child probably won't qualify if language skills have to be as high as quanititative, but he loves math with a passion and he is advanced due to his own ability and interest-we didn't push him. I figure he will guide me. If he wants extra enrichment, we'll find it for him with Kumon or a math club or something. I don't worry at all about him being bored. We can teach him stuff at home. I don't think he will be stifled if he doesn't qualify for a gifted program. Colleges don't care.

Am I missing something?