Folks do opt not to have their AAP-eligible kids move to an AAP center or even have AAP services in their base school. But you can keep your child technically on the AAP list, so to speak, and opt INTO AAP services or a center at any point up through middle school. So -- please don't confuse opting out of the pool with opting out of sayiing yes to AAP services/ centers. Your child, once eligible, remains eligible -- you do not HAVE to take up the offer of AAP services. But if you want to leave the door open to your child moving into AAP services/center later on, don't formally say "I want my child taken off the eligibily list."

Talk to the AAP office at FCPS about how this works. Your child can keep the eligibility and opt INTO the services at any point, I believe, but if you totally remove your child from the list of eligible kids, you might end up with problems getting your child into AAP later on if that becomes the right place for him to be.

For instance, I know of kids whose parents did not send them to an AAP center until fifth or sixth grade because the parents felt the kids weren't ready until then. These kids were able to move right into centers because the kids were still AAP eligible.

There are PLENTY of people that do NOT opt for AAP, OP. There are all different reasons, OP. Every family is different. No two families are alike, ever.

As others have said, I would stay in the pool and follow the process through to the end. If you then choose not to place your child, you still can change your mind later on.

For what it's worth, we've had 3 kids qualify: sent 2, kept one at the base school. For social reasons, I think we should have sent the one we kept, but she also wound up being the best student in our family, and earned a full scholarship to several excellent universities.

Go through the process because, as I was told by one MS administrator, that label, whether the child participates in the program or not, gives the school valuable info about that child and what tehy are capable of doing. You can choose to opt in or out at any point along the way (we opted on child out but put the other in), and so allowing the process to run it's course and for your child to be designated as whatever they are, is a good idea. That said, #2 that opted in is TERRIBLE at homework - very disorganized, even in middle school.

I'm not sure why you would opt out of the pool, but opting out of placement makes sense.

My child was in the pool back when it was GT. Took her out of consideration because I wanted her to stay in community school.
Don't regret it. In fact, she performed better in high school than many of those who chose to go to the center. Se went to a very competitive college.

Yes, we opted out for both of our children. Each has non-academic issues (one ASD and one majorly LD) that needed to be addressed. We felt that they each had additional work to accomplish outside of academics and we didn't want to add even more stress. So far it has worked well, they are in 8th and 10th grade. Since they are more STEM than anything, they took the higher level math classes starting in 4th grade (they both needed an extra year to workon math facts) and we have always supplemented science at home. I haven't found a downside. AAP goes away in HS, so they can take the higher level classes for college anyway.

Since you can defer as long as you like, what would be the benefit of opting out now? I'd stay in the process and if found eligible then decide. Better to have more options than fewer IMO.

I'm just curious if anyone might be doubting as I am. My child scored well enough on NNAT to make it into pool (we don't have our COGAT yet.) But is not motivated to do the work. I'm sure GBRS will reflect this. Has special ed and behavior issues. Thinking of opting out but don't want to close the door forever since attitude could be completely different in the future. I want to know if anyone opted out of consideration and then re-applied in 3rd or later grades. What were your results? Yes I know we could go thru w/application and then defer if eligible. But I'm wondering if we might be better off waiting entirely and trying for it in the future if / when work ethic and motivation improve.