I have been around for many years, have had three accepted into AAP, and this year is particularly weird. I don't claim to know what AAP was like when it was a "true gifted program," but ten years ago it seemed that the GBRS was used to get kids with strong executive functions, whose scores were not in pool, into the program. Most in-pool kids got in, or certainly got in on appeal with a WISC over 130.

I have never until this year heard of kids with such high WISCS not getting in. The WISC has always been considered the gold standard. For whatever reason, more and more weight is being placed on the GRBS, which puts a certain profile of kid at a huge disadvantage. The messy kid, the impulsive kid, the kid with weak fine motor skills. Over-counting the GBRS also allows the most subjective of all the categories to be the most important. Why would FCPS want to do this??? What theory or justification is there to back it?

My kids are in no way profoundly gifted. I would be 100% fine with them in a Gen Ed classroom if there were no AAP. But they have been totally (and easily) successful in AAP with scores in the 130s-140 despite their mediocre GBRS.

I have never had a problem with kids with lower scores getting in. But in what universe does it make sense to design a separate program for hard-working kids who scored 120s on the CoGAT??? Much has been written about kids "needing AAP"... it seems impossible to justify a "need" with these kids.

And how does it make sense to reject my rising 3rd grader with an unprepped CogAT of 135 and a WISC of 136? I am not saying my tax dollars should allow me in--I am saying that I know what the program is like (slightly advanced) and I know that my smart enough, messy handwriting, energetic and disorganized kid--who works above grade level and has always gotten all 4s--can handle it as easily as older siblings can.

I think AAP is suffering from an identity crisis and they have chosen an incredibly strange way to resolve it this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

And why exactly are you here every year? Are you the designated AAP committee apologist? Your job is to defend their honor and keep the rabble rousers in line?

I'm just an overzealous 1/2 white-1/2 asian parent who has tracked AAP admissions every year on this board since my oldest entered kindergarten just so I can understand the patterns. Two down, 1 to go. Good luck to me too in 2021!

Nice try. You either have some association with FCPS or other vested interest in defending AAP.

I don't know if the person is who they claim to be. It's impossible to tell in an anonymous forum. The one thing that was stated by the person which is true is that for the White and Asians the problem will persist all the way through college admissions. There is a really heavy double standard. We are only in early elementary and facing it. I too think the problem doesn't get any better for the two ethnic groups.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

And why exactly are you here every year? Are you the designated AAP committee apologist? Your job is to defend their honor and keep the rabble rousers in line?

I'm just an overzealous 1/2 white-1/2 asian parent who has tracked AAP admissions every year on this board since my oldest entered kindergarten just so I can understand the patterns. Two down, 1 to go. Good luck to me too in 2021!

Nice try. You either have some association with FCPS or other vested interest in defending AAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

And why exactly are you here every year? Are you the designated AAP committee apologist? Your job is to defend their honor and keep the rabble rousers in line?

I'm just an overzealous 1/2 white-1/2 asian parent who has tracked AAP admissions every year on this board since my oldest entered kindergarten just so I can understand the patterns. Two down, 1 to go. Good luck to me too in 2021!

Doubtful, but if true, it makes sense why you'd want to keep out the highly gifted so your kids would have a better chance.

Anonymous wrote:
Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

DP. Sorry, but the kid with the 149 WISC who got rejected is more special than the kids who’ve been rejected in previous years. It’s truly absurd

FCPS should just rename this program to AVID. That's really what it's becoming. That would eliminate all those pesky gifted kids from trying to get in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

And why exactly are you here every year? Are you the designated AAP committee apologist? Your job is to defend their honor and keep the rabble rousers in line?

I'm just an overzealous 1/2 white-1/2 asian parent who has tracked AAP admissions every year on this board since my oldest entered kindergarten just so I can understand the patterns. Two down, 1 to go. Good luck to me too in 2021!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

And why exactly are you here every year? Are you the designated AAP committee apologist? Your job is to defend their honor and keep the rabble rousers in line?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Good luck "advocating" because surely you're a special parent and the others that came before you were not special like you or your kids! I mean it, good luck. Come back next year (or the year after that) and let us know how advocating worked out for you.

Anonymous wrote:Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Yeah, how dare you people try to advocate for your kids. It's better to just give up at the first hint of adversity. Life will be much easier that way!

Eye roll. People are just pissed off because their kids didn't make it in. It happens every year. Your Asian kid or White kid aren't any more special than the Asian and White kids before them who didn't make it in. Fighting on some public forum won't help your situation any. Whether you like it or not, they were rejected. Go figure something else out rather than wasting your time pounding sand into this forum about the injustice of reverse profiling. No one in academic Admissions pays attention to it from public to private settings. If you're White or Asian, this problem will persist to plague your child's entire academic life so figure out a way to deal with the rejection and move past it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But, they don’t. There is a broad cross section in America and, frankly, the world that too needs access to the best. They too bring unique skills and perspectives that can never be captured in a 2-3 hour test. If you have a bright child he or she will flourish in life with or without AAP. Trust this advice. Continue to nurture that intellect and prepare for the following year and beyond. Moreover, the super bright can likely advance a grade level to really move ahead.

-100 The bolded is completely incorrect and flies in the face of decades of giftedness research. The bright, high achieving kids will flourish in life with or without AAP. Kids who are actually gifted have a much larger chance of falling through the cracks in gen ed than the high achievers. Kids who are scoring above 130 and especially above 140 on a WISC are the ones who are undoubtedly gifted by any definition and need services. If they also have a low GBRS, that's an even stronger signal that the child is a gifted child who is not going to be successful in a general education classroom.

One of my kids deferred AAP enrollment and chose to remain in gen ed. She's a bright, hardworking, high achieving kid who had test scores in the 120s and a 15 GBRS. She was fine in gen ed, and even though she had hours of free time each day, she spent the time constructively. If space for AAP is limited, white and Asian kids with my DD's profile are the ones who should be rejected -- not the kids who legitimately need gifted services.

You're making that statement because you don't really understand what the LIV AAP program at FCPS entails. It is NOT a true gifted program. There are pages and pages of threads on this almost every single year. You're confusing the program to meet the needs of a truly gifted child. If your child is in the 140+ WISC range, FCPS is not the solution for your child. I'm sorry you believe that paying taxes is all that is necessary for your child to get the benefit of the LIV AAP program, but that's not how it works. The same can be said for TJ.

Why don't you enlighten us and tell us what you think the purpose of LIV AAP is? Because you clearly don't think it's for the highly gifted. You don't think it's for gifted students whose families can afford outside resources. Should income now be a factor for admission? Let's eliminate Asians from the program altogether and have it only serve URMs; I think that would make you giddy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But, they don’t. There is a broad cross section in America and, frankly, the world that too needs access to the best. They too bring unique skills and perspectives that can never be captured in a 2-3 hour test. If you have a bright child he or she will flourish in life with or without AAP. Trust this advice. Continue to nurture that intellect and prepare for the following year and beyond. Moreover, the super bright can likely advance a grade level to really move ahead.

-100 The bolded is completely incorrect and flies in the face of decades of giftedness research. The bright, high achieving kids will flourish in life with or without AAP. Kids who are actually gifted have a much larger chance of falling through the cracks in gen ed than the high achievers. Kids who are scoring above 130 and especially above 140 on a WISC are the ones who are undoubtedly gifted by any definition and need services. If they also have a low GBRS, that's an even stronger signal that the child is a gifted child who is not going to be successful in a general education classroom.

One of my kids deferred AAP enrollment and chose to remain in gen ed. She's a bright, hardworking, high achieving kid who had test scores in the 120s and a 15 GBRS. She was fine in gen ed, and even though she had hours of free time each day, she spent the time constructively. If space for AAP is limited, white and Asian kids with my DD's profile are the ones who should be rejected -- not the kids who legitimately need gifted services.

You're making that statement because you don't really understand what the LIV AAP program at FCPS entails. It is NOT a true gifted program. There are pages and pages of threads on this almost every single year. You're confusing the program to meet the needs of a truly gifted child. If your child is in the 140+ WISC range, FCPS is not the solution for your child. I'm sorry you believe that paying taxes is all that is necessary for your child to get the benefit of the LIV AAP program, but that's not how it works. The same can be said for TJ.

AAP can't meet the needs of a highly gifted child, so your solution is to keep in him gen ed. Completely logical.

Why have posts like these?

Are people upset that their kids didnt make it into the program?

Really? "Muh tax dollars"

Your tax dollars pay for all sorts of things that your kids probably dont use in the school system. Boo hoo

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're making that statement because you don't really understand what the LIV AAP program at FCPS entails. It is NOT a true gifted program. There are pages and pages of threads on this almost every single year. You're confusing the program to meet the needs of a truly gifted child. If your child is in the 140+ WISC range, FCPS is not the solution for your child. I'm sorry you believe that paying taxes is all that is necessary for your child to get the benefit of the LIV AAP program, but that's not how it works. The same can be said for TJ.

Nope. I fully understand what the LIV AAP program entails, and I have a highly gifted kid for whom it wasn't the right solution. FCPS really needs to work on its messaging and outreach. Right now, they're telling parents of kids with high IQ scores that their kids aren't good enough for AAP and will be fine in gen ed. They also have the party line that AAP is enough to meet the needs of any gifted learner. If instead, they sent rejections to kids with a designation that the kid was too advanced for the program to be a good fit, and then offered a meeting time with a gifted liaison who would help the families navigate resources that would help their specific child have his or her needs met, that would be an entirely different thing than essentially recommending FCPS gen ed for these highly gifted kids.

I wasted 1st-4th grade for my highly gifted DC, because FCPS told me in 1st and 2nd that my child would find a peer group and be challenged in AAP. They also gave the impression that Fairfax was filled with gifted children, and AAP would be a true gifted program. After one year in AAP, I assumed that maybe my kid just had a bad teacher. During the 2nd year, my DC was constantly complaining that school was really boring, they didn't learn anything, were picked on by the other kids for being too smart and too nerdy, and they wanted to be homeschooled.

tl;dr: FCPS needs to stop lying about what AAP is and whether they are able or willing to educate highly gifted children.

I wish more parents like you would speak out about the program so that other parents whose kids are truly gifted don't waste their time thinking LIV will solve their child's needs. FCPS should do everything you say in the first paragraph, but it is also a very large system that is dealing with over 140 elementary schools. But you're not wrong. FCPS should find a way to truly support the exceptionally bright child because AAP cannot do that--it is diluted with a lot of kids who don't fit the "exceptionally bright" category. Unfortunate but true.