Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe this Shrevewood parent actually thinks it's a plus that this principal is skewing class sizes for general ed to make a sole AAP class. According to the data from class size counts on Sept class sizes, the principal made two combination classes in K, 1, and 2 to give more teachers to 3rd and 4th so that the AAP classes would not be combined with general ed. Another kindergarten class is listed at 31 students with 4 special ed students in it. I can't believe FCPS allowed this. Where is the region 2 administration and school board member to weigh in on this? The reason Shrevewood was given extra teachers compared to a Mclean school was for their FARM and ESOL students. I can't believe most of those are in AAP and if they are, they shouldn't need extra teachers. Why are the 3rd grade students not even reported as AAP students? I bet A Vela is the 3rd grade AAP teacher. I can't get the data to appear in columns, but below is the information.

School Grade Teacher AAP AAP General Class Classes K-3 Keep Over Spec Total
eligible principal Ed Size St. Limit the Line Ed Students in each clasroom
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Carter,D 0 0 1 1 1 29 1 20 or Under 0 1
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Kuhmerker, L 0 0 26 26 1 29 0 K-3 27 or over 3 29
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Pinkerton 0 0 25 25 1 29 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Gates, A 0 0 27 27 1 29 0 K-3 27 or over 4 31
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Richardson 0 0 27 27 1 29 1 K-3 27 or over 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM K-1 Watters, P 0 0 2 2 1 29 1 20 or Under 0 2
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Ashmore, M 0 0 22 22 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 22
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Glista, K 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Hwang,H 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 2 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Young, J 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 1-2 Weiss 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Gravitz 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Nabbus, S 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Poggioli, J 0 0 25 25 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Volk, D 0 0 27 27 1 30 1 K-3 27 or over 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Vela, A 0 0 15 15 1 30 1 20 or Under 0 15
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Gray, J 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Grimm, R 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Varley 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Aurora AAP* 11 0 4 15 1 35 1 20 or Under 0 15
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Crenshaw,T 0 0 20 20 1 35 1 20 or Under 0 20
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Ecker, S 0 0 21 21 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 21
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Rodriguez, N 0 0 22 22 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 22
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Abdallah, R 0 0 27 27 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Handy 0 0 25 25 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Stam, A 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Barnes, D 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Ice, J 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Malave, R 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26

How/where did you get this info? Curious as there are other schools in FCPS that may do this as well.

Based on the AAPAC report, these schools would also be potential candidates (more than 10, less than 20 LLIV kids in one grade):

Aldrin
Beech Tree
Camelot
Centreville
Columbia
Dranesville
Fairhill
Flint Hill
Freedom Hill
Glen Forest
Great Falls
Lees Corner
Mason Crest
Oakview
Powell
Wakefield Forest
Waynewood
Westlawn

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe this Shrevewood parent actually thinks it's a plus that this principal is skewing class sizes for general ed to make a sole AAP class. According to the data from class size counts on Sept class sizes, the principal made two combination classes in K, 1, and 2 to give more teachers to 3rd and 4th so that the AAP classes would not be combined with general ed. Another kindergarten class is listed at 31 students with 4 special ed students in it. I can't believe FCPS allowed this. Where is the region 2 administration and school board member to weigh in on this? The reason Shrevewood was given extra teachers compared to a Mclean school was for their FARM and ESOL students. I can't believe most of those are in AAP and if they are, they shouldn't need extra teachers. Why are the 3rd grade students not even reported as AAP students? I bet A Vela is the 3rd grade AAP teacher. I can't get the data to appear in columns, but below is the information.

School Grade Teacher AAP AAP General Class Classes K-3 Keep Over Spec Total
eligible principal Ed Size St. Limit the Line Ed Students in each clasroom
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Carter,D 0 0 1 1 1 29 1 20 or Under 0 1
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Kuhmerker, L 0 0 26 26 1 29 0 K-3 27 or over 3 29
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Pinkerton 0 0 25 25 1 29 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Gates, A 0 0 27 27 1 29 0 K-3 27 or over 4 31
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 00 Richardson 0 0 27 27 1 29 1 K-3 27 or over 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM K-1 Watters, P 0 0 2 2 1 29 1 20 or Under 0 2
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Ashmore, M 0 0 22 22 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 22
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Glista, K 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Hwang,H 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 2 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 01 Young, J 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 1-2 Weiss 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Gravitz 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Nabbus, S 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Poggioli, J 0 0 25 25 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 02 Volk, D 0 0 27 27 1 30 1 K-3 27 or over 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Vela, A 0 0 15 15 1 30 1 20 or Under 0 15
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Gray, J 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Grimm, R 0 0 23 23 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 23
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 03 Varley 0 0 26 26 1 30 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Aurora AAP* 11 0 4 15 1 35 1 20 or Under 0 15
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Crenshaw,T 0 0 20 20 1 35 1 20 or Under 0 20
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Ecker, S 0 0 21 21 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 21
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 04 Rodriguez, N 0 0 22 22 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 22
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Abdallah, R 0 0 27 27 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 27
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Handy 0 0 25 25 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 25
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 05 Stam, A 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Barnes, D 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Ice, J 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26
SHREVEWOOD ELEM 06 Malave, R 0 0 26 26 1 35 1 Class size okay 0 26

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13 students is less than any other class in the entire district save maybe one or two. I'm just so disgusted. I hope it isn't true that a principal would get away with this.

It's true!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shrevewood is our base school, and if our son is admitted to AAP we will be sending him to the Lemon Road center. Years (okay, decades) ago, Lemon Road was my base school and I went to the center at Haycock. Haycock's center at the time was only modestly larger than Lemon Road's is today. It was one of the most valuable experiences of my life (yes, an ES experience stands at the top of my most valuable life experiences, it was that good), and a major part of its value was having a larger mass of AAP students in a school-within-a-school. I don't think that Shrevewood's 12 or so LLIV students per grade provides enough of an opportunity to interact with other students and a variety of teachers. LLIV makes sense for schools that have enough level 4 students to create what amounts to a local center (e.g., Chesterbrook). But I'm a strong proponent of supporting the centers. I don't like how smaller LLIV programs at Shrevewood and Westgate are peeling off students from the center at Lemon Road. I strongly encourage parents with children that are eligible for the center to send their kids there.

Candidly, I think one of the reasons that individual school administrations want LLIV programs is to keep the test scores up. FCPS's center-based AAP system boosts the SOL scores of the schools with centers at the expense of schools that don't have centers. A school without a center or LLIV program loses between 15-20% of its best students to a center starting in third grade--which is when SOLs start. This obviously dampens test scores at the non-center school. And it artificially inflates scores at the school with the center. For example, Lemon Road was a "7" on GreatSchools before the center opened. In the first year with a center, it shot up to "10." The principal at Lemon Road no doubt noted this, which might be why he has suddenly been promoting the center (even though rumor had it that he was skeptical about the center at first).

I don't say this to criticize the school administrators. They are under massive pressure to keep test scores up. In a perfect world, they would be rewarded for how much they help students who can't pass the tests. But they aren't. They're evaluated based on raw numbers. So naturally there's competition for the best students.

PP, I'm a Shrevewood parent who has the opportunity to send her kids to Lemon Road. I want to address a couple of your statements:

1. Your elementary school was one of the most valuable experiences? Wow, surprising to hear, but impressed that you must have teachers who were so phenomenal that elementary school surpassed your college experience.

2. Your numbers are off of the LLIV number of students in the classroom are off. (my kids are in LLIV at Shrevewood) Further, your explanation of Shrevewood or any LLIV vs. Lemon Road or Center is solely based on your experience. I can tell you that my kids experience both 3rd and 4th grade has been no different than other kids experiences at the center. I have kids in my neighborhood who attend LR; the parents and I have compared notes. I can tell you that my kids have benefited from the smaller classroom size. I don't need to explain this in detail too much as it's pretty straightforward. Smaller class more attention from the instructor, able to navigate the curriculum faster and able to do more hands on projects. Furthermore, don't hate on the parents "peeling" away students from the Centers. In FCPS we are extremely fortunate to have options, there are obvious reasons, why parents are deciding to keep their kids in the LLIV school. One last thought. Why is that Shrevewood has certified AAP teachers in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade while LR has one certified teacher??? I know certification does not equal teaching abilities/skills. LR has been a Center now for 2 years, what's the hold up with these teachers in obtaining their certification??

3. Test scores, don't kid yourself and everyone else. ALL Administrators want their test scores up. This is the first year that FCPS is allowing kids to re-take SOLs in order to give schools an opportunity to get this test scores up.

4. Greatschools scores. This is where you completely lost me PP. Please do not mis-guide people. Greatschools ratings are not a reflection of the schools, they are merely similar to "Yelp" reviews. You go in you like what you get; you write up a good review. If you don't like what you get or you don't like the Administration, teachers, etc. you give that school a lower rating because in your opinion they did not serve your needs. Now, your explanation of LR having a "7" rating and now having a "10" rating after the Center has been established is baloney! You and I both know that either the Principal or the PTA asked a bunch of parents to go out to GreatSchools and provide positive feedback for the school.

Anonymous wrote:13 students is less than any other class in the entire district save maybe one or two. I'm just so disgusted. I hope it isn't true that a principal would get away with this.

Anonymous wrote:Yep - she promised them a small class size and that she would not "principal place" any students. Kind of shady, frankly. But the present 4th grade parents were very insistent about that ....if they were to keep their children there, there would be no mingling.

The 4th grade class is now a little bigger because kids tested in over the summer - parents realized that the AAP kids were getting more than their kids were.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are still less children in AAP at Shrevewood than at the Lemon Road center. yes, there are more AAP kids eligible than at Lemon Road in 2nd, but in 3rd, there are more kids at Lemon Road. 26 in 3rd at Lemon Road is greater than 13 at Shrevewood for 3rd grade. I'm assuming if you keep your child at Shrevewood, then there is a class of LLIV and LLIII children in one class? I don't know.

For the LLIV class at Shrevewood, it is only the LLIV students in one class but they may combine for specials (PE, music, etc.).

How is that possible? 13 in one class? The average is 27 students to 1 teacher in FCPS. Why would an AAP class have only 13 students?