The Thoreau community has been asking and lobbying for an AAP Center for years. They want one. The County has been dragging its feet. This is a way for the Principal to do it on her own. It sounds like, although not official, the AAP designated students will be in separate Honors classes from non-designated students.

The ES my DCs' attended did a similar thing before it was offically designated as a Local Level IV program. It also did a similar to FLES but not FLES when it couldn't get the official FLES designation. Now it has both.

I have a child at Madison now. The kids who came from Thoreau are nowhere near as prepared for high school as those who came from Jackson or Kilmer. They will tell you that themselves - it was in a recent school newspaper article.

Why isn't this thread on the AAP forum with the rest of the crazy-intense threads by AAP parents? Do you people hear yourselves? Breathe, please. This is middle school you're talking about, not HS or college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:19 And why shouldn't they be? FCPS just started the AAP program there not too long ago and it's doing well. Why should Thoreau try to dismantle it?

How is Thoreau trying to dismantle it? The children who feed into Jackson should go there for AAP. It's not like anyone is saying that Jackson should not have an AAP center. If Thoreau wants to offer a local level four option, that's wonderful for the children who want to know their high school peers.

This sounds like parents whose kids didn't make aap and have a tough time explaining to their children. My DS went to louise archer and there were lots of parents email entire class about what Thoreau was such a great choice and why Luther Jackson was soooo dangerous--wrong! I don't know for a fact, but suspect these base LA kids wrangled their way into GT classes, but didn't qualify for middle school level IV.

OP - plan on going to the meeting so will report back.

Anonymous wrote:22:19 And why shouldn't they be? FCPS just started the AAP program there not too long ago and it's doing well. Why should Thoreau try to dismantle it?

How is Thoreau trying to dismantle it? The children who feed into Jackson should go there for AAP. It's not like anyone is saying that Jackson should not have an AAP center. If Thoreau wants to offer a local level four option, that's wonderful for the children who want to know their high school peers.

22:19 And why shouldn't they be? FCPS just started the AAP program there not too long ago and it's doing well. Why should Thoreau try to dismantle it?

Please report back about this. My child is in a local level Iv that feeds into Thoreau and I would want her to go to Thoreau so she won't be separated from the larger crowd feeding to Madison. We are a few years away from this. Besides they offer algebra in 7th at Thoreau so it is really only the 3 other clAsses I'd be wondering about how they will handle them.

Sounds like some people at Jackson be very worried about losing AAP kids to Thoreau.

Anonymous wrote:Op again - thanks 18:26, very helpful.

I'd like to send her to Thoreau just because she could walk and I've heard good things about it .. but on the flip, she is solidly level IV and I would hate for her to not be challenged.

Hi, OP, 18:26 here again. Glad that was useful. I would just regard the announced change with plenty of questions since it's not clear what "coursework" means in this instance. One thing that we have found to be a strong draw with centers is the fact that kids' classmates are all AAP, so the peer group around the student is also working at that same level and pace, and I know my kid certainly benefits from that, from the discussions the whole class has together, etc. So I'd want to know if this AAP coursework means just more and different work, or if there is going to be some attempt to get these Level IV kids together to bounce ideas off each other, work in teams or groups on projects, etc.

Thoreau likes to emphasize that "ALL students take honors classes" in two subjects there, but that begs the question about how the school handles having kids of different abilities and especially of different interest levels working in "honors" classes. Duriing last spring's parent information night, someone asked about that -- how teachers handle an honors level class that everyone is in, not just those who chose to do honors -- and were told that teachers would "diffferentiate in the classroom." That answer did turn off some families who had the Thoreau-Jackson choice; honors can't really be honors if all kids are doing it even if they don't care to do it. And "differentiation" has not worked well, that I've seen, for kids who need more challenges. Yes, AAP is different since kids must qualify to get into it (you self-select into honors in MS) BUT if these kids in the proposed Level IV are doing this AAP coursework within other classes and not in AAP classes--what does that really mean for them? Thoreau may have great answers to this and may plan all AAP peer classes, yes, but they need to get that word out. I'm sure they will eventually -- but parents and students do have to make a choice at some point so I hope Thoreau and FCPS have concrete specifics to give you. It's new, so there will be lots of parents asking questions - I just hope they do ask, and don't just say "It'll be like sending my child to a center" when it may not be. (And yes, I have a kid at Jackson, and yes, I like the center model, and finally yes--I wonder if this coursework at Thoreau will pull kids away from Jackson's good center in years to come.)

Op again - thanks 18:26, very helpful.

I'd like to send her to Thoreau just because she could walk and I've heard good things about it .. but on the flip, she is solidly level IV and I would hate for her to not be challenged.

I have heard the same thing - that Thoreau is going to get some kind of Local Level IV equivalent for MS (and that it is not getting a center -- some parents there have tried for years to get an AAP center put there and been turned down repeatedly since Thoreau sits pretty much between two established AAP centers at Jackson and Kilmer).

Check the details of the proposed coursework very, very closely; ask for concrete and specific examples of what this AAP level coursework really will encompass. Like others, I thought that there was no such thing as Local Level IV at MS, only AAP centers and honors, so I am wondering what exactly Thoreau is going to have that is "coursework specifically for AAP eligible students." Are they going to train teachers in AAP teaching, bring in new teachers, how does the teaching differ from an honors class, does "coursework" mean just more and harder assignments or is it matched with different teaching styles....what would it really involve? Then check out Jackson as closely and go to their information night in the spring when they talk in detail about AAP. Make the decision based on as much detail as you can from both schools. Bear in mind that having "coursework" available does not mean there will be AAP classes with AAP peers and teachers versed in teaching this group. But what it does really mean, Thoreau has to answer. It sounds as if there would not be AAP classes but pockets of AAP coursework withini other classes. They need to get details out there soon so people can assess what seems to be a model different from what other middle schools have.

OP - this is what I read on their website:

in Gym 2

Rising 7th Grade Orientation for Parents February 19 – 6:30-7:30PM
of AAP Center Eligible Students in the Lecture Hall

For many years, Thoreau parents have requested a program that serves students who are
AAP center eligible. For the 2014-15 school year, Thoreau will be offering coursework
specifically for AAP eligible students.

I assumed it was similar to a local level IV

I believe Local Level IV only applies to elementary schools. Middle schools all have honors classes and some also have an AAP center. Sorry, I don't know anything specifically about Thoreau. Are you wondering if Thoreau will be getting an AAP center?

Is Thoreau getting a local leve IV? If so, is it as good as what's offered at Luther Jackson? My DD will be going to either Jackson or Thoreau in a year so I'm definitely interested.