The point here isn't whether there are kids who are completely average at some or even most subjects in AAP. There are. There are kids who don't belong in AAP and hold the class back. There are even kids reading below grade level in AAP.

The point is what OP needs to do to convince the AAP appeals panel to reverse the earlier judgment that her kid doesn't need AAP. If the appeals committee thinks that your kid is borderline or unready to handle AAP level work in either math or language arts, it will be difficult to convince them to change the original ruling. In OP's case, the best approach is to try to convince the committee that the kid needs AAP for the advanced math and science opportunities, but can also handle AAP language arts.

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Anonymous wrote:What was the CogAT verbal score and the iready reading percentile? I’d be hesitant to include a WISC with a low VCI if the CogAT and iready are also on the low side.

why wouldn't you include the WISC for the other scores, not all students excel in every area, and isn't AAP more math focused?

You don't have to prove that your child excels in every area, but for an appeal, you at least need to prove that the child won't slow down the AAP class in their area of weakness. You'll have to address why your child needs AAP for math and science, but also why your child is actually better with verbal abilities than the tests indicate. If your child is a decent writer, I'd include some strong writing samples in the appeal. Also, if you have any reason at all why your child might be a bit behind in reading (like 2nd language spoken in the home, suspected LD, or anything like that), include that.

Do you have a kid in AAP? My kid spent an entire year as the assigned student helper for a child struggling in a variety of subjects. There's this pie-in-the-sky idea on DCUM that every kid in level IV/full-time program/whatever is a 150 CogAT amazing student. Reality on the ground is that AAP has a huge range and some kids truly do slow down the class. It's just a fact.

As with most things in FCPS, I think it’s totally school dependent. I have 2 kids in AAP and it has not been our experience that there are tons of kids holding the class back, and the few kids falling behind, typically get tutors. AAP has been night/day experience from the classroom environment in GE.

I didn't say tons. I said they exist. And they're falling behind exactly because their parents are not the kind to get their kids tutors. We do have some low SES schools that feed our mid-SES center.

Yes, which is why I said it was school dependent. The pie-in-the-sky version you described is the reality on the ground at some fcps schools and not just a DCUM fantasy.