Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Good grief. How many times must this be repeated to you? Flexible grouping does NOT mean multiple groups in one classroom. It means each teacher takes a group for all four core classes. So Mrs. X has advanced language arts, Mrs. Y has grade-level, and Mr. Z has remedial. Then the teachers have different groups for math, science, and social studies. The kids switch for each subject anyway. The kids can cycle into and out of these groups as they improve/need more help. No one is locked into any group or label. And each teacher only has one level to worry about.

Good grief how many times must we explain that not all schools in FCPS operate the same. In our center school, each grade decides whether or not they rotate subjects. And who is responsible for administering all the testing throughout the year, in each subject area, to determine whether or not the 130 students per grade flex up/down or remain the same? Bc our kids aren’t wasting enough time already with the state/county standardized testing requirements?

Good grief... nobody is saying we need more tests to do flexible grouping. What's wrong with iReady, which is already administered twice a year? FCPS's system of permanently segregating kids is NOT normal. Is there any data on this across the country? Who else does this? I've seen articles that tracking kids by ability prior to middle school is not productive. FCPS has been at this a long time, so where is the data that shows AAP is producing higher achieving graduates? It's anecdotal, but I keep hearing how high school teachers of advanced classes can't tell the difference between former AAP and non-AAP kids.

The costs and benefits of tracking are pretty well known.
There are definitely costs and there are definitely benefits.

Ideally, every kid would have private tutors and a counselor crafting an IEP for them so they are progressing as quickly as possible within their ability.
But we cannot afford that so we do the best we can.

The thing that makes education policy so delicate is that the academic results we see in schools are largely dependent on things that the schools have no control over but would really like to fix.
So we try to fix it using our public education system and honestly teachers cannot change most of the things that affect in class performance aside from material and engagement (which are very important but not the whole story)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Good grief. How many times must this be repeated to you? Flexible grouping does NOT mean multiple groups in one classroom. It means each teacher takes a group for all four core classes. So Mrs. X has advanced language arts, Mrs. Y has grade-level, and Mr. Z has remedial. Then the teachers have different groups for math, science, and social studies. The kids switch for each subject anyway. The kids can cycle into and out of these groups as they improve/need more help. No one is locked into any group or label. And each teacher only has one level to worry about.

Good grief how many times must we explain that not all schools in FCPS operate the same. In our center school, each grade decides whether or not they rotate subjects. And who is responsible for administering all the testing throughout the year, in each subject area, to determine whether or not the 130 students per grade flex up/down or remain the same? Bc our kids aren’t wasting enough time already with the state/county standardized testing requirements?

Good grief... nobody is saying we need more tests to do flexible grouping. What's wrong with iReady, which is already administered twice a year? FCPS's system of permanently segregating kids is NOT normal. Is there any data on this across the country? Who else does this? I've seen articles that tracking kids by ability prior to middle school is not productive. FCPS has been at this a long time, so where is the data that shows AAP is producing higher achieving graduates? It's anecdotal, but I keep hearing how high school teachers of advanced classes can't tell the difference between former AAP and non-AAP kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best to just be at a center school as neighborhood school. Ours does Social studies and science all classes at Level IV. Same material/tests/quizzes/enhancements in both HE and AAP. Language Arts incorporates Level IV material but not everything into GE as well. Major difference is Math. But even with that some of my kids friends who are not “in” AAP are in my kids AAP math class. Center School.

Well it doesn’t really matter now with ne LA curriculum since everyone is getting the same program.

Same program does not equal the same pace and depth of delivery. Non-AAP parents really want to believe it's all the same. But it's not.

All kids will be getting the basal in LA. AAP kids will be doing the same grade level standards as others. They might have some extensions but not the way it has been in the past. I guess my point is they really won’t be getting accelerated or advanced reading compared to their gen ed classmates. Furthermore, avid readers will probably find the new basal boring.

This is a huge loss to the kids who can handle a faster, deeper curriculum. Teach to the lowest denominator, I guess.

AAP teacher, why I am thrilled to have an actual LA curriculum, I feel like we will not have as much autonomy to supplemental with other things. I haven’t done basal training yet and will try to keep an open mind. It is going to be a real shift for kids, teachers snd parents.

AAP teacher as well & I too am thrilled to actually have a curriculum. What the county gives us in the planning and pacing guide is so wishy washy, and certainly not comprehensive. I've had to reinvent the wheel by myself in my elementary language arts instruction and I'm looking forward to something that's more scripted and comprehensive. That said, my guess is we in AAP will be able to move through the basal lessons at a faster pace and will have time for the classic AAP options such as Caesar's English, DBQs, Socratic Seminars, Great Debate, etc. I haven't done the training yet, though. Time will tell.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

I don’t think it will be watered down. The kids will finally have reading, writing, grammar and spelling. It will just be very scripted and old school with little differentiation unless you are below.

At least they now will be teaching reading, writing, grammar and spelling. Colleague says his DC still can’t spell worth a hoot, despite getting top grades in AAP and in MS/HS within FCPS. It became a big issue for his DC once in college, and competing with students who had been taught all of those things with direct instruction before college.

Yes. The kids will be finally getting direct instruction. It will just be a one size fits all approach that avid readers will not enjoy.

PSA: Your avid reader still needs to learn the basics. I have seen a lot of children "reading above grade level" that can't even pronounce the words they are reading and certainly can't spell them.

I hate to admit it, but I was this kid in high school and it was embarrassing once we started doing read aloud

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

I don’t think it will be watered down. The kids will finally have reading, writing, grammar and spelling. It will just be very scripted and old school with little differentiation unless you are below.

At least they now will be teaching reading, writing, grammar and spelling. Colleague says his DC still can’t spell worth a hoot, despite getting top grades in AAP and in MS/HS within FCPS. It became a big issue for his DC once in college, and competing with students who had been taught all of those things with direct instruction before college.

Yes. The kids will be finally getting direct instruction. It will just be a one size fits all approach that avid readers will not enjoy.

PSA: Your avid reader still needs to learn the basics. I have seen a lot of children "reading above grade level" that can't even pronounce the words they are reading and certainly can't spell them.

Anonymous wrote:Are the AAP rooms allowed to at least move through the curriculum at a faster pace? No more Caesar's English or other extensions? What's the point of AAP English then?

I'm afraid the point is that FCPS doesn't care about the advanced kids; if you want acceleration or extensions, you might have to do it at home.
You might disagree with the reasoning, but they care more about bringing the kids who are lagging up to grade level (because of SOLs, etc) rather than helping each child reach his or her potential.

Anonymous wrote:Are the AAP rooms allowed to at least move through the curriculum at a faster pace? No more Caesar's English or other extensions? What's the point of AAP English then?

I haven’t done the training yet so I have no idea.

Are the AAP rooms allowed to at least move through the curriculum at a faster pace? No more Caesar's English or other extensions? What's the point of AAP English then?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

I don’t think it will be watered down. The kids will finally have reading, writing, grammar and spelling. It will just be very scripted and old school with little differentiation unless you are below.

At least they now will be teaching reading, writing, grammar and spelling. Colleague says his DC still can’t spell worth a hoot, despite getting top grades in AAP and in MS/HS within FCPS. It became a big issue for his DC once in college, and competing with students who had been taught all of those things with direct instruction before college.

Yes. The kids will be finally getting direct instruction. It will just be a one size fits all approach that avid readers will not enjoy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

I don’t think it will be watered down. The kids will finally have reading, writing, grammar and spelling. It will just be very scripted and old school with little differentiation unless you are below.

At least they now will be teaching reading, writing, grammar and spelling. Colleague says his DC still can’t spell worth a hoot, despite getting top grades in AAP and in MS/HS within FCPS. It became a big issue for his DC once in college, and competing with students who had been taught all of those things with direct instruction before college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely the kids talk about this. I am sorry Op. AAP sucks. Damage control time. Strengthen relationships with friends who will remain. Immediately. Do not chase the friends who will be leaving.

AAP doesn’t suck. Not allowing gifted and talented kids the space to grow and be challenged sucks.

+1

Anonymous wrote:LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

I don’t think it will be watered down. The kids will finally have reading, writing, grammar and spelling. It will just be very scripted and old school with little differentiation unless you are below.

LA has been a joke and our biggest disappointment with our AAP child. I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be watered down even further

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best to just be at a center school as neighborhood school. Ours does Social studies and science all classes at Level IV. Same material/tests/quizzes/enhancements in both HE and AAP. Language Arts incorporates Level IV material but not everything into GE as well. Major difference is Math. But even with that some of my kids friends who are not “in” AAP are in my kids AAP math class. Center School.

Well it doesn’t really matter now with ne LA curriculum since everyone is getting the same program.

Same program does not equal the same pace and depth of delivery. Non-AAP parents really want to believe it's all the same. But it's not.

All kids will be getting the basal in LA. AAP kids will be doing the same grade level standards as others. They might have some extensions but not the way it has been in the past. I guess my point is they really won’t be getting accelerated or advanced reading compared to their gen ed classmates. Furthermore, avid readers will probably find the new basal boring.

This is a huge loss to the kids who can handle a faster, deeper curriculum. Teach to the lowest denominator, I guess.

AAP teacher, why I am thrilled to have an actual LA curriculum, I feel like we will not have as much autonomy to supplemental with other things. I haven’t done basal training yet and will try to keep an open mind. It is going to be a real shift for kids, teachers snd parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best to just be at a center school as neighborhood school. Ours does Social studies and science all classes at Level IV. Same material/tests/quizzes/enhancements in both HE and AAP. Language Arts incorporates Level IV material but not everything into GE as well. Major difference is Math. But even with that some of my kids friends who are not “in” AAP are in my kids AAP math class. Center School.

Well it doesn’t really matter now with ne LA curriculum since everyone is getting the same program.

Same program does not equal the same pace and depth of delivery. Non-AAP parents really want to believe it's all the same. But it's not.

All kids will be getting the basal in LA. AAP kids will be doing the same grade level standards as others. They might have some extensions but not the way it has been in the past. I guess my point is they really won’t be getting accelerated or advanced reading compared to their gen ed classmates. Furthermore, avid readers will probably find the new basal boring.

This is a huge loss to the kids who can handle a faster, deeper curriculum. Teach to the lowest denominator, I guess.