They are not sending out the scores because they are still translating the letter that goes with the scores into all of the languages represented in our county.

Anonymous wrote:
As for as the kids that close to the threshold, if the parents can provide additional material outside the score/GBRS/sample, it might help.

+1

Anonymous wrote:
The decision process is quite cryptic and how the applicants are selected is a secret. The actual weight given to the parent referral and submission is unknown. Weight given to minority status is undefined. Perhaps simple to fill out, but not simple to know what is the best way to package it and what additional testing/materials to include to gain admission.

IMO, If the kids are obviously ready for AAP (98% NNAT AND 95% CoGAT, 14 or better GBRS, nice work sample the teacher can easily identify), or obviously not ready (either NNAT nor CoGAT made the cut, 10 or less GBRS, not much good work sample to choose from), the parent's input will weight minimal on the final decision.
As for as the kids that close to the threshold, if the parents can provide additional material outside the score/GBRS/sample, it might help.

Anonymous wrote:

The decision process is quite cryptic and how the applicants are selected is a secret. The actual weight given to the parent referral and submission is unknown. Weight given to minority status is undefined. Perhaps simple to fill out, but not simple to know what is the best way to package it and what additional testing/materials to include to gain admission.

Here is information about the AAP continuum including the pool (about 19% of second grade) and referrals (just over 3% of total population grades 2 - 7):
http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/92UNAX5CE5A8/$file/AAP%20Expansion%20Plan%20Final_2_PPT.pdf

Here is information about the decision process -- not secret and not cryptic. Remember, the central selection committee is looking for evidence to support Level IV placement (looking to place kids in, not looking to keep kids out):
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/pdfs/localplan/FinalLocalPlan.pdf

see page 9:

Criteria from the list above are used to determine eligibility for advanced academic services, Levels II (grade K-8), III (grades 3-8) and IV (grades 3-8). Multiple criteria are reviewed and no one piece of information can determine eligibility or ineligibility. If a student is found ineligible for Level IV services he or she may be considered by the local school committee for schoolbased services (Levels II and III). If a student is found ineligible for advanced academic services, he/she may appeal the decision. Students may also be referred again the following school year. Each file is read by committee members until at least four agree that the student is eligible or ineligible. Each reader takes a holistic case study approach to the file and reads all of the information to determine if there is enough evidence to support a need for advanced academic services.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is cryptic, all base schools offer differing explanations and help in the process, and how the decisions are made by the committee is constantly debated.

It is not cryptic.

1. Download the Parent Information Packet. Follow the directions.

2. Questions? Talk to your school's AART.

See? Very simple.

The decision process is quite cryptic and how the applicants are selected is a secret. The actual weight given to the parent referral and submission is unknown. Weight given to minority status is undefined. Perhaps simple to fill out, but not simple to know what is the best way to package it and what additional testing/materials to include to gain admission.

Anonymous wrote:It is cryptic, all base schools offer differing explanations and help in the process, and how the decisions are made by the committee is constantly debated.

It is not cryptic.

1. Download the Parent Information Packet. Follow the directions.

2. Questions? Talk to your school's AART.

See? Very simple.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly! If they are able to send the iN pool letters, they should be capable of sending the CoGat scores too-no sense in a delay between the two.....just sayin'

Quite logical. So why the delay?

One is a data file -- you know, like a big huge Excel worksheet for every 2nd grader. The other is a set of documents -- you know, like a big Microsoft Word mail merge document -- that gets sent to each school.

Maybe we can make it easier for you. How about recommending that FCPS just take the big huge Excel worksheet and post it on the website and you can look up your kid's score that way? Who cares if you can see all the other kids' scores, too?

Crikey -- all this freakin' angst? You might need some medication. Just go fill out the damn one page referral form and go have a cup of tea or something.

You make absolutely no sense. A large Excel File could be manipulated to print each students scores on a single sheet, and these could be mass sorted and sent out in a few days or less. Furthermore, the test was administered in OCTOBER, and it is computer scored. Are you really saying scores could not have been sent to parents sooner because they are in a big Excel File? You sound like one of those people who always has a reason why something cannot be done, rather than a problem solver.

As far as lecturing others as to their need for medication, you should take into account that for many this is their first experience in the process. It is cryptic, all base schools offer differing explanations and help in the process, and how the decisions are made by the committee is constantly debated. I hope you are more compassionate when your child is suffering angst due to an upcoming school project.

But why wouldn't a concerned parent have completed the materials already? I would think you would want to present the best picture of your child whether or not they are in the pool.

I suspect many people want to see the scores to determine how worthwhile it would be to do a referral. My son is in the pool this year, but before I got the letter I wasn't sure if I would do a referral or not, and was hoping to see the Cogat scores to help make that decision. He did not do well on the NNAT, but for various reasons, I suspected that might not be representative of his abilities.

I know my child is bored in second grade now and I suspect he'll be a good fit in AAP classes, but I also realize I'm not the most objective person about my child's abilities. If he'd were close to the cutoff then I'd have definitely referred him, but if not I might have waited a year or two and done a referral then when I had better confidence in how well he would do in an AAP curriculum.

I'm sure many people doing referrals are confident that AAP is right for their child, but for others it's probably a more nuanced decision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The work samples are optional, and can be provided whether your child is in the pool or referred. The school will provide work samples for every child whether they are in pool or referred. The referral form itself is quick and easy and requires no more than a paragraph about why you are referring your child.

The parent referral form and optional materials take significantly longer than what you are saying. The package should be well prepared and materials accompanying it should make the case for the admission of the child. This is even more critical when the test scores do not meet the minimum pool threshold of the pool (although how far short is indeterminable since Fairfax County cannot manage to send the scores they are sitting on).

But why wouldn't a concerned parent have completed the materials already? I would think you would want to present the best picture of your child whether or not they are in the pool.

Anonymous wrote:The work samples are optional, and can be provided whether your child is in the pool or referred. The school will provide work samples for every child whether they are in pool or referred. The referral form itself is quick and easy and requires no more than a paragraph about why you are referring your child.

The parent referral form and optional materials take significantly longer than what you are saying. The package should be well prepared and materials accompanying it should make the case for the admission of the child. This is even more critical when the test scores do not meet the minimum pool threshold of the pool (although how far short is indeterminable since Fairfax County cannot manage to send the scores they are sitting on).

12:03 here--obviously I know how the process works, as I did it last year. I'm saying that I found the referral difficult to write. Perhaps others will find it easy; I suspect many will not.

As for the work samples, our AAP teacher told us to include them, taking the "optional" designation with a grain of salt. These were in addition to samples provided by the school.

Anonymous wrote:The work samples are optional, and can be provided whether your child is in the pool or referred. The school will provide work samples for every child whether they are in pool or referred. The referral form itself is quick and easy and requires no more than a paragraph about why you are referring your child.

+10000000000000000000

The work samples are optional, and can be provided whether your child is in the pool or referred. The school will provide work samples for every child whether they are in pool or referred. The referral form itself is quick and easy and requires no more than a paragraph about why you are referring your child.

I did the parent referral form last year for my DD (who did not get in), and I have to say I didn't find it "very little effort" at all. Wading through a year's worth of work samples--and figuring out what exemplified her "AAP-ness"--was bad enough. I, personally, found it very difficult to objectively justify in writing why my DD should be in the program. I'm not an educator. I did know she was bored in her classes and took anything she was interested in to extremes (geometry, the history of Ancient Egypt, etc.), so to me, that warranted a shot at the AAP program. But again, it was a lot of work. I don't blame parents who don't want to deal with it if there's a good possibility an in-pool score is sitting on someone's desk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly! If they are able to send the iN pool letters, they should be capable of sending the CoGat scores too-no sense in a delay between the two.....just sayin'

Quite logical. So why the delay?

One is a data file -- you know, like a big huge Excel worksheet for every 2nd grader. The other is a set of documents -- you know, like a big Microsoft Word mail merge document -- that gets sent to each school.

Maybe we can make it easier for you. How about recommending that FCPS just take the big huge Excel worksheet and post it on the website and you can look up your kid's score that way? Who cares if you can see all the other kids' scores, too?

Crikey -- all this freakin' angst? You might need some medication. Just go fill out the damn one page referral form and go have a cup of tea or something.