Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Definitely pick the center. We were at one of the schools that overnight became Local Level 4 and almost the entire class was "principal placed". It really was just that too. The principal decided who was in the class. It was filled with kids whose parents were tight with the admin and most had older children that had been with the school for years. The students would joke around and make remarks about how easy it was for them to get in. The class was not ran at any sort of AAP level and was doing the exact same projects and classwork as the non Local Level 4 classes. We were told at orientation it would be different and it wasn't. Every child who was principal placed in the class was able to apply for Level 4 after the year and every single one was accepted. Even the parents who were told that they should not apply (by the teacher) did apply, and did get accepted.
That doesn't make sense. The AAP decisions are made by central admin, not the principal.
Anonymous wrote:Definitely pick the center. We were at one of the schools that overnight became Local Level 4 and almost the entire class was "principal placed". It really was just that too. The principal decided who was in the class. It was filled with kids whose parents were tight with the admin and most had older children that had been with the school for years. The students would joke around and make remarks about how easy it was for them to get in. The class was not ran at any sort of AAP level and was doing the exact same projects and classwork as the non Local Level 4 classes. We were told at orientation it would be different and it wasn't. Every child who was principal placed in the class was able to apply for Level 4 after the year and every single one was accepted. Even the parents who were told that they should not apply (by the teacher) did apply, and did get accepted.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
The majority of the lessons will be geared towards to the skill level of the majority of the students.
The skill level of the majority in an AAP center classroom is not as high as you would like to think. There are children in AAP at my child's center who got in because they were exceptional at language arts, but they are average in math and vice versa. The classes are always going to teach to the lowest common denominator, and even in AAP it can be quite low.
Also, the bottom half of the kids in AAP will be completely indistinguishable from the gen ed kids who are likely to be principal placed. All were borderline applicants, and there really isn't a difference between those lucky enough to get in and those who weren't. At least the principal placed kids are going to be well-behaved, motivated kids who are academically advanced, even if they're as a whole not as smart as the AAP kids.
My view is that you should choose the center if your child is not a borderline admit and is strong in all subjects. You should choose LLIV if your child was a parent referral or borderline in some other way, or if your child is not strong in one of the core subjects.
I think this is right. My kid's principal hinted to me that my son needs to be challenged and may be better off at the center school. My son is shy and does not want to change schools. It's so hard to know what is the right thing to do.
NP. I would agree with this, as my son is similar. Unfortunately, there is only Level III at our base school, for an hour a week, and no differentiation in math until 5th grade. Our son stayed at the base through third grade and was really not getting much out of it academically, so went to the center in 4th. He is doing great academically at the center and has no problems keeping up. Socially, he's also fine but definitely misses his peer group from the base school.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
The majority of the lessons will be geared towards to the skill level of the majority of the students.
The skill level of the majority in an AAP center classroom is not as high as you would like to think. There are children in AAP at my child's center who got in because they were exceptional at language arts, but they are average in math and vice versa. The classes are always going to teach to the lowest common denominator, and even in AAP it can be quite low.
Also, the bottom half of the kids in AAP will be completely indistinguishable from the gen ed kids who are likely to be principal placed. All were borderline applicants, and there really isn't a difference between those lucky enough to get in and those who weren't. At least the principal placed kids are going to be well-behaved, motivated kids who are academically advanced, even if they're as a whole not as smart as the AAP kids.
My view is that you should choose the center if your child is not a borderline admit and is strong in all subjects. You should choose LLIV if your child was a parent referral or borderline in some other way, or if your child is not strong in one of the core subjects.
I think this is right. My kid's principal hinted to me that my son needs to be challenged and may be better off at the center school. My son is shy and does not want to change schools. It's so hard to know what is the right thing to do.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
The majority of the lessons will be geared towards to the skill level of the majority of the students.
The skill level of the majority in an AAP center classroom is not as high as you would like to think. There are children in AAP at my child's center who got in because they were exceptional at language arts, but they are average in math and vice versa. The classes are always going to teach to the lowest common denominator, and even in AAP it can be quite low.
Also, the bottom half of the kids in AAP will be completely indistinguishable from the gen ed kids who are likely to be principal placed. All were borderline applicants, and there really isn't a difference between those lucky enough to get in and those who weren't. At least the principal placed kids are going to be well-behaved, motivated kids who are academically advanced, even if they're as a whole not as smart as the AAP kids.
My view is that you should choose the center if your child is not a borderline admit and is strong in all subjects. You should choose LLIV if your child was a parent referral or borderline in some other way, or if your child is not strong in one of the core subjects.
I think this is right. My kid's principal hinted to me that my son needs to be challenged and may be better off at the center school. My son is shy and does not want to change schools. It's so hard to know what is the right thing to do.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
The majority of the lessons will be geared towards to the skill level of the majority of the students.
The skill level of the majority in an AAP center classroom is not as high as you would like to think. There are children in AAP at my child's center who got in because they were exceptional at language arts, but they are average in math and vice versa. The classes are always going to teach to the lowest common denominator, and even in AAP it can be quite low.
Also, the bottom half of the kids in AAP will be completely indistinguishable from the gen ed kids who are likely to be principal placed. All were borderline applicants, and there really isn't a difference between those lucky enough to get in and those who weren't. At least the principal placed kids are going to be well-behaved, motivated kids who are academically advanced, even if they're as a whole not as smart as the AAP kids.
My view is that you should choose the center if your child is not a borderline admit and is strong in all subjects. You should choose LLIV if your child was a parent referral or borderline in some other way, or if your child is not strong in one of the core subjects.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are 64 ES with LLIV and 29 Centers, by my count. There are 141 ES, so that means there are 48 with no LIV AAP.
Some of those without local level IV are Magnet schools and language immersion schools. The school does not have the room or the resources to have three programs.
And some of them are just crappy gen ed schools that have nothing.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
The majority of the lessons will be geared towards to the skill level of the majority of the students.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are 64 ES with LLIV and 29 Centers, by my count. There are 141 ES, so that means there are 48 with no LIV AAP.
Some of those without local level IV are Magnet schools and language immersion schools. The school does not have the room or the resources to hav e three programs.
Anonymous wrote:There are 64 ES with LLIV and 29 Centers, by my count. There are 141 ES, so that means there are 48 with no LIV AAP.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:there are many local level 4 schools, only a few truly match up to student make up of a center.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics/advanced-academic-level-iv-center
see this thread for my analysis of 4 of the top local centers
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/798590.page
I'm more concerned with what's going on inside the AAP classroom. If there are more GenEd kids at the school in general, that's fine.
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:there are many local level 4 schools, only a few truly match up to student make up of a center.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics/advanced-academic-level-iv-center
see this thread for my analysis of 4 of the top local centers
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/798590.page
I'm more concerned with what's going on inside the AAP classroom. If there are more GenEd kids at the school in general, that's fine.
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.
No, it certainly wouldn’t. Always pick the Center. If you choose local, your child will always be in just one class with the same kids. A Center usually has 2-3 classes.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:there are many local level 4 schools, only a few truly match up to student make up of a center.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics/advanced-academic-level-iv-center
see this thread for my analysis of 4 of the top local centers
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/798590.page
I'm more concerned with what's going on inside the AAP classroom. If there are more GenEd kids at the school in general, that's fine.
Would an AAP class with 2 aap student and 18 gened work at the same level as one with 15 aap students and 5 gened? Which class would move at a faster pace and/or more advance instruction? The percentages of AAP vs gened at the school contribute to the makeup of each AAP class.