I would suggest that music and arts are a core element of being academically talented. (lots of affirmative research on the connection between early advanced music education and early development of math knowledge). Student are gifted differently and this focus leaves those other gifts unattended, to all students detriment.

Anonymous wrote:AAP at the early grades is focused primarily on math and language arts, at least if FFX County. The way the program is set up is doesn't allow for support to kids who may be gifted/talented in other areas like music and arts at a young age. It is the difference between right and left brain smarts...kids can be strong on either side.

That is why the changed the name to Advanced Academic Program from Gifted and Talented Program. Parents thought it was for kids with talents in the arts and music and they changed the name to make clear that it is a program for children who were academically talented.

Anonymous wrote:The students are in AAP (or not). The parents are not AAP.

Yes, but it does tell you something about why the parents think AAP is so important when they say things like, "Are our scores good enough?" or, "How can we improve our scores?"

AAP at the early grades is focused primarily on math and language arts, at least if FFX County. The way the program is set up is doesn't allow for support to kids who may be gifted/talented in other areas like music and arts at a young age. It is the difference between right and left brain smarts...kids can be strong on either side.

The students are in AAP (or not). The parents are not AAP.

this is a culture clash pure and simple. Certain groups see AAP and TJ as hugely important - as seen by the number of applicants to TJ, number enrolled in tutoring classses etc.
Others, don't see it as such a big deal. So you get these people who are obsessed by it and others scratching their heads why it is such a big deal.

Anonymous wrote:An Apple Please

Love it!

My perspective and take is it comes across so many times, with so many threads that getting into AAP center, or TJ is the "be all and end all" all all things possible in life. The obsession in this, and I think it's due to the social media here, and the anonymous aspects of this forum, is incredible. I am a parent who has BTDT, got two adult children, one who was in a center and one who wasn't. It truly takes a distancing to see how nuts these threads can get, and how vicious. Why do I read them you ask? Because I am still "in the education business" and want to know what craziness may be going on out there.

Anonymous wrote:11:39. I'm a mom with a kindergartener. I was hoping moms of older kids would have more to talk about than AAP here, but it seems to be all they talk about. Just kind of disappointed people aren't as passionate about other aspects of their child's education within FCPS.

What would you prefer to talk about? Bullying? Organizational strategies for ADHD kids? Homework load and procrastination? Managing after-school activities and family life? Working parents and school age kids? All these topics are front and center for our family now.

An Apple Please

What's AAP?

Anonymous wrote:I think it just gets tiring to read AAP thread after AAP thread as if there's nothing else that matters within FCPS.

1+

11:39. I'm a mom with a kindergartener. I was hoping moms of older kids would have more to talk about than AAP here, but it seems to be all they talk about. Just kind of disappointed people aren't as passionate about other aspects of their child's education within FCPS.

Just because the AAP kid and the non-AAP kid got into the same college doesn't mean they'll have the exact same experience there. One kid might take all general classes; one kid might take all honors classes. One might be in a highly regarded major; the other might not be. You can't use admission to the same college as an indicator that AAP doesn't matter at all. For some kids, it probably matters. Some kids will achieve more in life (monetary or otherwise) because they got the boost from AAP. Some kids will achieve more without it. Who the hell knows?

I think part of the issue is that there are folks on here (and in real life) who don't really get that there are varying degrees of "smart" and it's not a judgment, it's just a quantifiable fact that may or may not be important. A kid with an IQ of 140 may learn differently than a kid with an IQ of 120, though I would consider both smart. A 120-degree IQ kid may learn differently from a kid with an 100 IQ. Some kids may make up for a relatively lower IQ with a fabulous work ethic or common sense/street smarts or a real curiosity for learning. Some kids may squander a high IQ by not giving a sh*t about school or learning. Either way, I think it makes sense to try to group kids according to ability (and willingness to work) because if everyone starts near the same level of understanding, you're not spending half your time catching up the kids who started from a lower place, and holding back the kids who started at a higher place.

I don't really get all the tiger-momness. Either your kid passes the test or he/she doesn't. Seems stupid to spend so much time worrying about it. (we're in Arlington, so I really don't have to worry about it. No plans to try for TJ.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because the obsession with AAP is just nauseating. My kid was regular/non-GT (as it was called then), took IB in HS got into William & Mary. DC's long time friend was GT/TJHSST and is also going to W & M. Not sure what all the craziness is going to do in the long run when the kids end up in the same place anyway.

+1

GT friend never had a career outside of retail...on the at Nordstroms. This was after attending a great university. I was a straight A student, but not GT and I ended up with a graduate degree and a high-profile career. A lot of it is a bunch of shit and just for parental bragging rights. As the youngest of 4 kids--all into travel sports--my parents didn't lobby or push GT like other parents in our neighborhood.

I'm sorry. Who is bragging here? It's sure not your friend at the mall.

Anonymous wrote:It's because the obsession with AAP is just nauseating. My kid was regular/non-GT (as it was called then), took IB in HS got into William & Mary. DC's long time friend was GT/TJHSST and is also going to W & M. Not sure what all the craziness is going to do in the long run when the kids end up in the same place anyway.

+1

GT friend never had a career outside of retail...on the at Nordstroms. This was after attending a great university. I was a straight A student, but not GT and I ended up with a graduate degree and a high-profile career. A lot of it is a bunch of shit and just for parental bragging rights. As the youngest of 4 kids--all into travel sports--my parents didn't lobby or push GT like other parents in our neighborhood.