There is a difference between preparing for life and preparing for the CogAT (not GoCAT). I did puzzles with DD, built patterns with legos with her, and many other things. I did it to help her grow as a human. Not to get a better score on a test.

Psychologists, educators and learned parents will agree this is excellent 'test prep' for GoCAT ... years before or the night before.

Some do, some don't. But hopefully, they all realize that their ultimate happiness and success in life will not be based on where they attended high school.

Everyone does not share the same goals.

Preparation for our daily tasks, tests and exams is really not about ultimate happiness. Children have to obey their parents whether they like it or not, whether they are happy or not. Citizens have to obey the laws whether you are happy or not or whether you like it or not. Citizens also have to pay taxes in the US whether you like it or not or whether you are happy or not. Finally, you will die whether you are happy or not or whether you like it or not.

Success in life may not be based on where you attend high school. Yet, most of us in Fairfax County prefer to attend schools here and not in the inner city. We also generally prefer to attend schools in the richly funded as opposed to poorly zones of our County.

There is a difference between preparing for life and preparing for the CogAT (not GoCAT). I did puzzles with DD, built patterns with legos with her, and many other things. I did it to help her grow as a human. Not to get a better score on a test.

Right. And it is wrong in whatever context it happens.

Preparation for an exam or test is not wrong. It does not matter whether you are 8 or 80. It's done every day in our County and around the globe.

Most FCPS parents have been preparing their children for GoCAT all along even if they do not know they have been doing so. Preparation for GoCAT cannot be assumed to be limited only to having the exact copy of the test and answers before hand. To assume so is pure ignorance.

Anonymous wrote:

This thread is complete bull. You want to make it so prepping for the CogAT is the same as practicing sports. The same as music. ...

It is. Practicing for CoGAT is the same as practicing sports and music. The goal is to improve performance.

Hmm, you forgot what was noted in the rest of this post:

This thread is complete bull. You want to make it so prepping for the CogAT is the same as practicing sports. The same as music.

It is different. Prepping for the CogAT by using sample questions is akin to forging a birth certificate so an older kid can play on a younger travel team. It is like the elite athlete trying to be the best by taking Human Growth Hormones. It is like the mucisian using a recorded peice instead of a live peice at a concert.

In all fields, there are ways to cheat. And at all levels.

I have seen, in house sports leagues, teams breaking rules on recruiting at the 8 yo level.

It happens. And it is wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Then you don't get out much. I know four parents off the top of my head who kept their center-accepted kids at our local elementary school.

As for the calculation of why kids chose base over TJ or magnet -- are you sure you're not making that in your own head? The kids I've know who've opted for the local HS vs. TJ route, have made their decisions for a variety of reasons; lack of desire to focus on math and science, friends, competitive sports, interest in a different program, such as IB, friends (yes, imagine it. they are kids after all). I can't think of one example in fact (and I have three kids high school age and know many who came up from AAP who feared competition or were worried about how TJ would affect their grade point average. This is how adults think.

Sure. Some kids find their neighborhood schools a walk in the park compared to TJ and some of the magnets, regardless of your noble rationalizations for school decisions!

Some do, some don't. But hopefully, they all realize that their ultimate happiness and success in life will not be based on where they attended high school.

And we wll always disagree because you are clearly trying to cheat to win. You may win some battles, but you will lose the war. You have zero ethics, and you children will learn that from you.

Then their children clearly were not taking the most rigorous course load available at their base schools.

I have known plenty of kids who were taking course loads at their base school that were the humanities equivalent of TJ.

This thread is complete bull. You want to make it so prepping for the CogAT is the same as practicing sports. The same as music. ...

It is. Practicing for CoGAT is the same as practicing sports and music. The goal is to improve performance.

I know at least 5 families for whom their neighborhood schools were a walk in the park compared to TJ

Then you don't get out much. I know four parents off the top of my head who kept their center-accepted kids at our local elementary school.

As for the calculation of why kids chose base over TJ or magnet -- are you sure you're not making that in your own head? The kids I've know who've opted for the local HS vs. TJ route, have made their decisions for a variety of reasons; lack of desire to focus on math and science, friends, competitive sports, interest in a different program, such as IB, friends (yes, imagine it. they are kids after all). I can't think of one example in fact (and I have three kids high school age and know many who came up from AAP who feared competition or were worried about how TJ would affect their grade point average. This is how adults think.

Sure. Some kids find their neighborhood schools a walk in the park compared to TJ and some of the magnets, regardless of your noble rationalizations for school decisions!

Anonymous wrote:If a child doesn't get into AAP we know this may not ultimately affect getting to MIT or Stanford in the long run. But, I know few families turning down AAP for the opportunity of using the general education route to those ends. I know of none.

I do know some who turn down TJ or magnet in favor of neighborhood school. The calculation in most cases, the latter is too competitive and a stellar grade point average better preserved with the latter option. This represents the bulk of the discussions I have held with such kids and families over the last decade.

Then you don't get out much. I know four parents off the top of my head who kept their center-accepted kids at our local elementary school.

As for the calculation of why kids chose base over TJ or magnet -- are you sure you're not making that in your own head? The kids I've know who've opted for the local HS vs. TJ route, have made their decisions for a variety of reasons; lack of desire to focus on math and science, friends, competitive sports, interest in a different program, such as IB, friends (yes, imagine it. they are kids after all). I can't think of one example in fact (and I have three kids high school age and know many who came up from AAP who feared competition or were worried about how TJ would affect their grade point average. This is how adults think.

You need to retake basic vocabulary. You are using words improperly and drawing conclusions with no basis, and which don't make sense in written or spoken English.

Actually, the preppers/scammers don't always score the highest, especially when the point is to raise the score to a higher point than it would be normally. Parents are sometimes surprised when the results don't meet their expectations after so much time and effort.

Oh, please stop making stuff up. You don't know a single surprised parent who prepped for AAP and is disappointed, unhappy or whose kids are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

I prepped my son by spending an hour or so going through the Mercer questions and he got into the pre-selection pool. That was 3 years ago. He is doing great and is easily in the top 3rd of students in his AAP class at his new center school. Absolutely no signs of stress yet for the (not-so) crushing AAP workload.

I dare. Heck, I double dare any parents who prepped their children to come forward and describe how horrible the experience has been. Come on, do if for FCPS the community! Come forward and let us all know what havoc the madness of AAP prepping reaped for your family and for the community at large.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is complete bull. You want to make it so prepping for the CogAT is the same as practicing sports. The same as music.

It is different. Prepping for the CogAT by using sample questions is akin to forging a birth certificate so an older kid can play on a younger travel team. It is like the elite athlete trying to be the best by taking Human Growth Hormones. It is like the mucisian using a recorded peice instead of a live peice at a concert.

In all fields, there are ways to cheat. And at all levels.

I have seen, in house sports leagues, teams breaking rules on recruiting at the 8 yo level.

It happens. And it is wrong.

Right. And it is wrong in whatever context it happens.