Anonymous wrote:Test prep produces no real learning, just spit-out-the-answer for the test capability.You can answer test questions correctly without having mastered the subject matter.

You cannot "prep and train the LD"- this phrase makes no sense. A learning disability is a difference in how a person learns.

Everyone has differences in how they learn. The more we know about our own particular differences, the better we can reach our potential. Do we learn best by seeing or by hearing or by doing? These are real differences in how people learn and knowing how we best learn can be truly useful in how we approach learning new subjects.

Test prep is useless to true learning.

but it can get someone into AAP - and they can learn in there - so it does lead indirectly to learning.

Test prep produces no real learning, just spit-out-the-answer for the test capability.You can answer test questions correctly without having mastered the subject matter.

You cannot "prep and train the LD"- this phrase makes no sense. A learning disability is a difference in how a person learns.

Everyone has differences in how they learn. The more we know about our own particular differences, the better we can reach our potential. Do we learn best by seeing or by hearing or by doing? These are real differences in how people learn and knowing how we best learn can be truly useful in how we approach learning new subjects.

Test prep is useless to true learning.

The earlier you prep and train the LD the better the short and longterm outcomes. The same is true for the abled. Preparation and training is key as several posters maintain.

My conscious is quite clear. I make no excuses for the fact I can train a monkey to excel in any K-12 or "IQ" test.

You can train a monkey to excel in any K-12 or IQ test? Really?

Well for goodness sake do it. This would be a bigger scientific coup than discovering the GoCat particle. At a minimum you will get your own special on Animal Planet. More likely, you will be offered an honorary doctorate with tenure at a prestigious Ivy League college.

In any case the monkey will almost certainly be accepted in the AAP program.

Haha!
Test prep would do nothing for kids with learning disabilities except for the possibility of scoring higher on a test. There are lots of strategies that can be taught to kids with learning disabilities that can help them to truly learn to their full potential.

Just getting a particular score on a test doesn't necessarily reflect real learning.

But it is cute the way some posters think "test prep" is the answer to everything.

LD students improve with test prep and practice. Test prep and practice yields severe adverse effects in able students...particularly those residing in Fairfax County.

Anonymous wrote:Funny, my most successful friend has and LD and was always in the bottom of the class. He barely made it through college.

Nowadays, learning disabilities are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age. It is not at all unusual for very intelligent people to have learning disabilities.

Ask the locals who went to FCPS themselves. They all have stories about the weird TJ boy that went on the a good college and now lives in his parent's basement. Same with AAP. When all the students are mixed in high school, some former AAP will do well and some nonAAP will do well.

Children learn at different rates and have varing amounts of intangibles. Work ethic, drive, social skills, and family connections will round out the picture. AAP is great for elementary students with drive and ability. Assuming that all students will stay on the same path is short sighted.

Anonymous wrote:Funny, my most successful friend has and LD and was always in the bottom of the class. He barely made it through college.

I know a kid like this too, only he delivers pizzas and lives at home with his parents. Aren't these little anecdotes instructive?

Anonymous wrote:Funny, my most successful friend has and LD and was always in the bottom of the class. He barely made it through college.

a sample size of one. Great. Does nothing to refute the post above yours.

Funny, my most successful friend has and LD and was always in the bottom of the class. He barely made it through college.

we had tracking when I was a student in middle school and it does seem that those in the advanced track have done somewhat better success-wise. Not all of them by any means, but probably more doctors, lawyers, entertainment industry success stories in that group than the middle and slowest track..

My guess is there will be a slightly higher percentage of success stories from kids in AAP. Not because of AAP, but the top 30% should do better than the average kid. I am not sure if this improves over if there was no AAP.

It will be interesting to see how many of the AAP kids THRIVE in their jobs at McDonalds or Walmart in afew years!

Would it also interest you to see how many of the nonAAP kids THRIVE in their job at McDonalds or Walmart in afew years! Or, as usual, do you prefer a biased proportion.

Anonymous wrote:It will be interesting to see how many of the AAP kids THRIVE in their jobs at McDonalds or Walmart in afew years!

Not all jobs at McDonalds or Walmart created equal.