Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me IQ of mid 140 and 150s are doing OK in AAP.
Questions is IQ 160 and over kids.

Well, until last year's test, the test ceiling was 150. Very, very few people in 4th grade or higher would have bothered to pay for additional testing if they hit the ceiling on the test, just to have a higher score. There is really no point.

So, these 160 kids would only be in the new 3rd graders, who have no point of reference to answer questions about AAP as they have only been in the program a short week.

We had WISC-IV testing for another reason (nothing to do with AAP) so we already had the scores.

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me IQ of mid 140 and 150s are doing OK in AAP.
Questions is IQ 160 and over kids.

I agree. Our kids have WISC-IV FSIQs of 149 and 152 and they are doing great in AAP.

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me IQ of mid 140 and 150s are doing OK in AAP.
Questions is IQ 160 and over kids.

Well, until last year's test, the test ceiling was 150. Very, very few people in 4th grade or higher would have bothered to pay for additional testing if they hit the ceiling on the test, just to have a higher score. There is really no point.

So, these 160 kids would only be in the new 3rd graders, who have no point of reference to answer questions about AAP as they have only been in the program a short week.

Seems to me IQ of mid 140 and 150s are doing OK in AAP.
Questions is IQ 160 and over kids.

Anonymous wrote:So if everyone is happy with the AAP centers for their highly gifted kids, why can't this subject of whether anyone is good enough for the center just drop off?

This is the first respondent here.

I don't think the people complaining are the parents of the profoundly gifted kids.

I know of a small handful of parents whose kids fall into the same range as my HG kid, and without exception they feel the same way that I expressed and that the other few respondents stated.

We are looking for normalacy for our kids, not putting them on some strange, isolated pedestal, and are very happy that AAP provides a more normalized learning experience for our kids.

We are also not concerned about everyone else's kids' qualifying scores as it does not impact our kids in any way whatsoever. We know our kids are going to learn, no matter what, and have gotten used to providing extra enrichment where needed.

I think the parents consistently complaining about the "poor HG and PG kids getting shortchanged in AAP" are not actually the parents of the kids they are "advocating" for. Just my observation.

So if everyone is happy with the AAP centers for their highly gifted kids, why can't this subject of whether anyone is good enough for the center just drop off?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing about FCPS AAP, At least at my DD's school, is much of the work is project based, which allows all to work at there ability. In addition, math, for example, there are some really challenging problem sets....very advanced.

With that said, biggest advantage of AAP is the peer group. They can spend less time on SOL prep, which means more time for learning. I wish they spent even less time.

Our center does essentially zero SOL prep. They do take the ECART tests, and the teachers send home links that the kids can use to study, but they don't spend any class time preparing.

Same at our Center.

Anonymous wrote:The thing about FCPS AAP, At least at my DD's school, is much of the work is project based, which allows all to work at there ability. In addition, math, for example, there are some really challenging problem sets....very advanced.

With that said, biggest advantage of AAP is the peer group. They can spend less time on SOL prep, which means more time for learning. I wish they spent even less time.

Our center does essentially zero SOL prep. They do take the ECART tests, and the teachers send home links that the kids can use to study, but they don't spend any class time preparing.

The thing about FCPS AAP, At least at my DD's school, is much of the work is project based, which allows all to work at there ability. In addition, math, for example, there are some really challenging problem sets....very advanced.

With that said, biggest advantage of AAP is the peer group. They can spend less time on SOL prep, which means more time for learning. I wish they spent even less time.

OP here. Thanks for the positive feedback. I was thrilled reading about FCPS AAP, but finding this board and reading about how "ungifted" AAP has become in the past few years has been somewhat depressing and unsettling. I'm glad to hear from at least some of you that there are challenges aplenty and that the teachers recognize the "quirks and obsessions and passions", because that is undoubtedly what DC will need in the program, and something that Gen. Ed. certainly is not providing in the lower grades.

I have two of them, both at a center school and thriving. The AAP teachers are great about assigning projects that the kids can complete with as much complexity as they desire, or using whatever book they wish, and they can take algebra as early as they are ready for it. AAP classes are full of kids who have quirks and obsessions and passions and the teachers we have had truly embrace and celebrate the uniqueness.

I'm not the original poster but I really appreciate the feedback given. Really on point.

The idea that a child is too gifted to learn in an AAP setting in FFX County is a little silly. They aren't going to be bored if they are motivated no matter how high their IQ. We know, our DC's IQ is mid 150's depending on the test. Sure the classwork is a little easy sometimes but DC is happy to be with peers and there is something to learn in every situation. Often its academic but frequently it's social skills, there is ALWAYS something to be gained.
We work very hard to keep DC stimulated outside of school. But not with TJ prep classes or gifted programs. Instead we keep busy as a family; fitness, academics and cultural activities. If you have plenty of that going on they will be set for any situation.

I echo what 14:05 said, especially about the peer group.

I have two DCs in the program, and what has been great about the peer groups is that my DCs are no longer the smartest in the room, but is just another in the crowd. Being in these peer groups has greatly improved their social skills. Academically they are learning how to manage their time, how to work on projects a bit at a time instead of procrastinating until the last minute, and that they have to put in some effort to get good grades. Yet most of their project work is done at school, so they do not have a heavy homework load once they get home from school.

I have a child who falls in that range. DC is in 5th grade AAP.

So far, DC loves the program. It is interesting and engaging enough that DC no longer spends the entire school day sneaking books and daydreaming. DC is engaged in the daily lessons and discussions. The demands of the program are such that DC needs to mostly pay attention and put forth some level of effort, and as a result is finally starting to develop some responsibility and study skills, rather than just skating through school and acing everything with zero effort. The program is also easy enough that it doesn't eat into our family time and our DC's down time. DC does not have to spend much time with homework, projects, etc outside of class in order to be successful in the program.

The best thing about the AAP program for our DC is the peer group. We aren't really concerned about who tested at what level. What we are concerned about, especially approaching middle school, is that DC is just a regular kid among classmates, so that DC's differences in intelligence are just a matter of fact, like a kid being good at singing or sports, and not something to hide or be self conscious about. AAP provides just that environment.

I guess our satisfaction with AAP is a direct result of our goals for our kid. Quite frankly, we aren't really concerned about the academics of the program except where it affects study skills and social development. We know DC will be successful academically, but if the social development and skills are not in place, then DC's high IQ will be irrelevant later in life. Our goal for our child is for DC to eventually lead a happy, productive adult life. Being with a group of kids where DC can just be one of the crowd has been a wonderful way to help DC blossom sociallly and is a great way for us to help DC meet this end goal.

If you have a highly or profoundly gifted kid in AAP (IQs above 145), I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences, good and bad. From what I have read here on DCUM and what I have learned from the statistics, the classes are filled largely with moderately gifted kids. I am thrilled that FCPS has such a great program, but are there challenges for the "crazy gifted" kids too, or is this something we just have to look elsewhere for? Thanks for any input!