It depends greatly on the Level 4. All I can tell you is that when I had to make the decision between the two, I was assured they were the same and now, after following up on what each school has been doing all school year, I know now they are NOT EVEN CLOSE. I feel like the locals do a great disservice to people by saying they're the same if they aren't.

They might both be good but they're very different. The center does lots of units developed by VA universities. When I asked about this at the LLIV they acknowledged (a year late) that they indeed do not even have those curriculua available on site.

They get away with this by technically covering the same standard objectives list but HOW they teach those objectives is drastically different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Is there a difference in curriculum or not?

Yes. The Local Level IV program tries to meet the intended AAP Level IV curriculum. It does not always do so. In addition, the peer groups are different.

Some old threads:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/78970.page#599251

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/101615.page#844427

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/90/124508.page#1067911

Anonymous wrote: Is there a difference in curriculum or not?

Yes. The Local Level IV program tries to meet the intended AAP Level IV curriculum. It does not always do so. In addition, the peer groups are different.

DD has been in a local level IV classroom through the pool for the last 2 years. Yes, there are quite a few non level IV kids, but look at how many kids get in via appeal etc - probably very similar capabilities? I have been reassured in the past by the Principal that the curriculum itself is the same. In fact, I feel her 3rd grade class may have done more last year than her friend's class is doing this year at another center. This year their class is doing Caesar's Latin and they have been doing Jacob's ladder for 2 yrs, amongst other things.
Math was compact last year and advanced this year - 4th grade math in 3rd and 5th grade math in 4th. There may be a difference in the classroom c/w a center - can't tell unless she switches - but the curriculum is supposed to be the same and at least for her school I believe it is. (I do wish more level IV kids had chosen to stay but most amongst certain populations feel it has to be the center.)

There is one slide with a Venn diagram made to look like the curriculum is where the two overlap. It's misleading. I bet the people who created that slide didn't really know what level 4s actually do and don't do.

Anonymous wrote:Read the "Presentations" links on this page:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/aapac.shtml

Which page of the 60 plus page presentation are you referring to? I didn't see anything that distinguished Level IV Local vs. Center.

I know about both and they're very different. For example, our Local Level 4 doesn't do Caesar's English or Navigator Units, just to name two differences.

Also, in math and language arts the centers basically skip third grade stuff. In our LL4 the kids have to spend some time first showing they know the 3rd grade skills before moving on.

Read the "Presentations" links on this page:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/aapac.shtml

yes

Is there a difference in curriculum or not?