Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do I find out this designation?

Definitely ask a message board of random anonymous strangers rather than contacting your child's teacher, counselor, or school administrator! Tea leaves also reveal many answers.

This! Ask the teacher.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - so everyone is Level 1 and above average starts at Level 2 and moves up to AAP/4? But there's no designation for below average? It's juste if you're not above average, you're average?

Not really, there are SPED classes that are for kids who are far behind with learning issues, special classes for kids with emotional disorders, and special classes for English Language Learners. No one is going to refer to those kids as below average, even though some are. Others need additional help to get to a point that they can access school in a mainstream classroom.

But Gen Ed is mainly for kids who are a bit behind grade level, on grade level, and maybe a little ahead. The other groupings are for kids who are some what ahead to advanced.

I'm not talking about special education or ESOL when I say below average, I mean children like mine who don't have any learning disabilities but are probably as much below grade level as a level II kid is above grade level. I guess it wouldn't benefit the school district to let families of below average children know that their kids are below average, so they lump everyone that's not advanced together, but then separate out slightly advanced, slightly more advanced, and even more advanced.

I am not sure what you are getting at. I am assuming you have seen the various assessments and test scores and report cards so you know your child is below average. Are you asking if the school has programs for a child like yours?

Why are there three levels of advanced and then "everyone else"?

These are "Advanced Academic" levels, so of course they're only referring to advanced kids.
The levels refer to the specific services a child is receiving and the metrics being used to assess the child in the report cards.
Level II generally means above grade level reading group, advanced math, or advanced push-in materials being given to the kid.
Level III generally means that the kid is getting a 1 hour small group gifted pull out with the AART once per week.
Level IV means that the kid is in an AAP classroom full time.

If your child is not receiving one of those advanced services, then they wouldn't need to be designated with an 'Advanced Academics' level.

Some schools don't have Level IV or are getting rid of their Level IV only classrooms.

Anonymous wrote:How do I find out this designation?

Definitely ask a message board of random anonymous strangers rather than contacting your child's teacher, counselor, or school administrator! Tea leaves also reveal many answers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - so everyone is Level 1 and above average starts at Level 2 and moves up to AAP/4? But there's no designation for below average? It's juste if you're not above average, you're average?

Not really, there are SPED classes that are for kids who are far behind with learning issues, special classes for kids with emotional disorders, and special classes for English Language Learners. No one is going to refer to those kids as below average, even though some are. Others need additional help to get to a point that they can access school in a mainstream classroom.

But Gen Ed is mainly for kids who are a bit behind grade level, on grade level, and maybe a little ahead. The other groupings are for kids who are some what ahead to advanced.

I'm not talking about special education or ESOL when I say below average, I mean children like mine who don't have any learning disabilities but are probably as much below grade level as a level II kid is above grade level. I guess it wouldn't benefit the school district to let families of below average children know that their kids are below average, so they lump everyone that's not advanced together, but then separate out slightly advanced, slightly more advanced, and even more advanced.

I am not sure what you are getting at. I am assuming you have seen the various assessments and test scores and report cards so you know your child is below average. Are you asking if the school has programs for a child like yours?

Why are there three levels of advanced and then "everyone else"?

These are "Advanced Academic" levels, so of course they're only referring to advanced kids.
The levels refer to the specific services a child is receiving and the metrics being used to assess the child in the report cards.
Level II generally means above grade level reading group, advanced math, or advanced push-in materials being given to the kid.
Level III generally means that the kid is getting a 1 hour small group gifted pull out with the AART once per week.
Level IV means that the kid is in an AAP classroom full time.

If your child is not receiving one of those advanced services, then they wouldn't need to be designated with an 'Advanced Academics' level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The levels are levels of advanced academic services provided to each student, not the students ranking.

All students, whether they are at grade level or not receive level one advanced academic services. If your child is below grade level, he/she may be eligible for other services that are not advanced academic services.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/holistic-case-study-approach

This! These are levels of advanced academic services.

Yes. There are. That is in the title of the thread.

All schools have some version of Level 1-3. Many schools have Local Level IV, but not all.

Anonymous wrote:The levels are levels of advanced academic services provided to each student, not the students ranking.

All students, whether they are at grade level or not receive level one advanced academic services. If your child is below grade level, he/she may be eligible for other services that are not advanced academic services.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/holistic-case-study-approach

This! These are levels of advanced academic services.

Anonymous wrote:The levels are levels of advanced academic services provided to each student, not the students ranking.

All students, whether they are at grade level or not receive level one advanced academic services. If your child is below grade level, he/she may be eligible for other services that are not advanced academic services.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/holistic-case-study-approach

You make it sound like those services actually exist at every school

The levels are levels of advanced academic services provided to each student, not the students ranking.

All students, whether they are at grade level or not receive level one advanced academic services. If your child is below grade level, he/she may be eligible for other services that are not advanced academic services.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/holistic-case-study-approach

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only meaningful designations are:
Level IV
Advanced Math

...and in rare instances Level III because they will get placed in classrooms with Level IV and receive the Level IV curriculum

This. I have a 5th grade level III DD in advanced math. She received level III services (a 1/2 hour once a week pullout) once a week in third and nothing since. The designation is still there, but it means nothing.

Agree. At level III you get pulled out 1hr per week at our school. Level IV kids go to AAP school. Level III and below means average smart.

Not all Level IV kids go to the Center for a variety of reasons. Not every base school has LLIV so there are kids who could be in LLIV and their parents choose not to send them. And they tend to do just fine when they go to MS and join the AAP kids there. We supplement at home but prefer the program at the Base school to the Center and there is no LLIV at our school. It is not a one size fits all program and not all Centers/LLIV/Base Schools are equal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only meaningful designations are:
Level IV
Advanced Math

...and in rare instances Level III because they will get placed in classrooms with Level IV and receive the Level IV curriculum

This. I have a 5th grade level III DD in advanced math. She received level III services (a 1/2 hour once a week pullout) once a week in third and nothing since. The designation is still there, but it means nothing.

Agree. At level III you get pulled out 1hr per week at our school. Level IV kids go to AAP school. Level III and below means average smart.

Anonymous wrote:The only meaningful designations are:
Level IV
Advanced Math

...and in rare instances Level III because they will get placed in classrooms with Level IV and receive the Level IV curriculum

This. I have a 5th grade level III DD in advanced math. She received level III services (a 1/2 hour once a week pullout) once a week in third and nothing since. The designation is still there, but it means nothing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - so everyone is Level 1 and above average starts at Level 2 and moves up to AAP/4? But there's no designation for below average? It's juste if you're not above average, you're average?

Not really, there are SPED classes that are for kids who are far behind with learning issues, special classes for kids with emotional disorders, and special classes for English Language Learners. No one is going to refer to those kids as below average, even though some are. Others need additional help to get to a point that they can access school in a mainstream classroom.

But Gen Ed is mainly for kids who are a bit behind grade level, on grade level, and maybe a little ahead. The other groupings are for kids who are some what ahead to advanced.

I'm not talking about special education or ESOL when I say below average, I mean children like mine who don't have any learning disabilities but are probably as much below grade level as a level II kid is above grade level. I guess it wouldn't benefit the school district to let families of below average children know that their kids are below average, so they lump everyone that's not advanced together, but then separate out slightly advanced, slightly more advanced, and even more advanced.

Are you saying your child is below average even though your school doesn’t know or isn’t communicating that and wish they would label your child? Do you get graded assignments, report cards, a teacher conference, etc? It sounds like you should be talking to your child’s teacher if you have concerns.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - so everyone is Level 1 and above average starts at Level 2 and moves up to AAP/4? But there's no designation for below average? It's juste if you're not above average, you're average?

Not really, there are SPED classes that are for kids who are far behind with learning issues, special classes for kids with emotional disorders, and special classes for English Language Learners. No one is going to refer to those kids as below average, even though some are. Others need additional help to get to a point that they can access school in a mainstream classroom.

But Gen Ed is mainly for kids who are a bit behind grade level, on grade level, and maybe a little ahead. The other groupings are for kids who are some what ahead to advanced.

I'm not talking about special education or ESOL when I say below average, I mean children like mine who don't have any learning disabilities but are probably as much below grade level as a level II kid is above grade level. I guess it wouldn't benefit the school district to let families of below average children know that their kids are below average, so they lump everyone that's not advanced together, but then separate out slightly advanced, slightly more advanced, and even more advanced.

I am not sure what you are getting at. I am assuming you have seen the various assessments and test scores and report cards so you know your child is below average. Are you asking if the school has programs for a child like yours?

Why are there three levels of advanced and then "everyone else"?

There are other levels but people don't think about them. There is SPED, there is ELL, and so on and so forth. People seem to focus so much attention on the little offered to kids who are ahead. Why does it matter what level they are at? Stop comparing your kid to my kid and ask if your kid is being challenged at school and is learning at a level that makes sense for them. Is your child ready to skip a grade level in Math? If so, talk to the school and find out what needs to be done for your child to be considered for Advanced Math. If your child is not ready to skip a grade in math, then does it really matter that other kids are?

As for the AAP Designation, Level II wasn't anything exciting at our school. It was a reading group and extra math worksheets that were more difficult but done solo. There were no pull outs, there was no extra time with the Teacher. It was a reading group, that didn't meet all that often with the Teacher, and extra math worksheets.

Level III has been a disappointment this year, it is barely meeting, which is a shame because my son loves it when it does meet. But it is not for everyone. They have done assignments which required them work in base 3. They have done more writing, and they have done more independent work so the kids have to be strong in reading and writing and able to handle the solo work. It is about an hour long class once a week, when it meets. The kids in it are pulled from their regular class and have to make up that work on their own. That hasn't been an issue for DS, he does the missed work when he finishes his assigned classwork.

I still have not figured out how Advanced Math works. It started in 3rd grade. DS is in 4th and I see work coming home that is labeled as a year ahead in math but it doesn't sound like the Advanced Math kids have specific time with the Teacher. I am told that next year, 5th grade, that the Advanced Math kids will be in their own class and that the math will be taught separately from the regular math curriculum. I think that is because 5th grade Advanced Math is 6th grade math and no longer just a an addition to a specific spiral.

We deferred Level IV placement because we didn't want to leave the base school and our base doesn't have LLIV. We might reverse that decision this year because LIII is not meeting. DS wants to be with his friends but is not finding classes challenging.

Schools are trying to meet kids where they are. Lots of kids are on grade level and the established curriculum works fine for them. Some kids could use a bit more challenge, that is what LII-IV is suppose to accomplish. Some kids need more help, that is what the reading and math specialists, SPED, and ELL type classes are for. Most kids are in that mid-range, the other kids fill out the left and right sides of the distribution.

The only meaningful designations are:
Level IV
Advanced Math

...and in rare instances Level III because they will get placed in classrooms with Level IV and receive the Level IV curriculum