Anonymous wrote:Please tell the basics about how AAP and why parent's want their kids in it.i am considering moving from MD to Fairfax. Are there issues in the Elementary school circulum that make parents so eager for AAP or is AAP just that good?

Please give me the basic run down. I have some basic knowledge that kids are tested in 2nd grade, etc. Are the center schools all AAP students? Is it better to have your kid in certain AAP programs vs others?

The centers have a mix of Gen Ed and AAP classes but the the classes that are AAP have mostly AAP kids and sometimes some principal placed kids. Some schools offer local level IV services which is AAP. Check the school to see.

Typically, these are the kids that have a higher aptitude for math but can have behavioral issues. One year my kid had a classmate that destroyed a teachers property and threatened the teacher- and that child had to move away. This year my kid has a very chatty child that is disruptive.

I will say my experience pre Covid for my kids and après Covid have been overall positive but my friends with kids in Gen Ed have not experienced the same thing. Things are normalizing though very quickly.

As for moving from Md to Fairfax: don’t do it for the schools. All schools are dealing with craziness and AAP doesn’t mean you’re going to have less crazy. It’s just different crazy.

Anonymous wrote:The closest thing there is to a "back door" is being a volunteer or PTA mom, sucking up to the principal, AART, and 2nd grade teacher, and giving nice x-mas gifts. GBRS and work samples are much more important than test scores, and having the school administration view you and your child positively will do a lot more to help your child get into AAP than psychologists and WISCs. The high GBRS + good work samples kids get in on the first round, though, so it doesn't fit PP's narrative that the handful of appeals kids are less worthy than "first round" kids.

Couldn’t agree more.

Anonymous wrote:The closest thing there is to a "back door" is being a volunteer or PTA mom, sucking up to the principal, AART, and 2nd grade teacher, and giving nice x-mas gifts. GBRS and work samples are much more important than test scores, and having the school administration view you and your child positively will do a lot more to help your child get into AAP than psychologists and WISCs. The high GBRS + good work samples kids get in on the first round, though, so it doesn't fit PP's narrative that the handful of appeals kids are less worthy than "first round" kids.

100% this. The person constantly posting about getting in through the “backdoor” in reference to appealing with additional testing data needs to give it up.

The closest thing there is to a "back door" is being a volunteer or PTA mom, sucking up to the principal, AART, and 2nd grade teacher, and giving nice x-mas gifts. GBRS and work samples are much more important than test scores, and having the school administration view you and your child positively will do a lot more to help your child get into AAP than psychologists and WISCs. The high GBRS + good work samples kids get in on the first round, though, so it doesn't fit PP's narrative that the handful of appeals kids are less worthy than "first round" kids.

It’s mostly GBRS if your kid has stellar GBRS and borderline scores… in. 99th percentile score and bad GBRS… out. So hope and pray you get a good mesh with the second grade teacher, otherwise just keep trying if that’s your thing.

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

PP actually believes that you can just waltz into a Psychologist's office, slip them a little extra money for a falsified WISC, and then guarantee AAP admissions with that WISC. They refuse to believe that the psychologist is not going to risk their license by falsifying test results, and that the AAP appeals committee largely is ignoring the WISC these days.

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

You are leaving out "and actually have an LD or ADHD or disability that is diagnosed by a professional through testing."

Sure, but getting a 2E diagnosis requires knowledge and resources.

Not really. Parents can request that the school evaluate their child if the parents are concerned about possible learning issues or ADHD or any type of issue. They contact the school requesting an evaluation. The school has a certain amount of time to call a meeting to discuss the parents concern and then to conduct testing.

The process at the school can be time consuming and may not find that there is an issue. Some parents prefer to use private screenings because they provide more direct information to the parents and the parents don't trust the school to conduct the proper testing because the school may not want to provide services for the child. That said, if parents bring a private evaluation to the table, the school will still require that the child be tested by the school. If there are different results then an IEP meeting can be very interesting.

ADHD can actually be diagnosed by a Pediatrician and doesn't require specialized testing. Many parents start with their Pediatrician and may move to a specialist dependent on their kids needs.

But any parent can request their child be evaluated and kick off the process. Our son was tested by the school and ended up with an IEP. We didn't use any type of private resources.

A WiSC, because you want your child to be admitted to AAP, is not something that you can request through the school. That is totally separate from the process of diagnosing a learning issue.

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

You are leaving out "and actually have an LD or ADHD or disability that is diagnosed by a professional through testing."

Sure, but getting a 2E diagnosis requires knowledge and resources.

I have no idea what point you’re trying to make. Are you arguing that kids with disabilities shouldn’t receive any supports bc these children can only access a diagnosis with parents who are knowledgeable and have resources?

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

You are leaving out "and actually have an LD or ADHD or disability that is diagnosed by a professional through testing."

Sure, but getting a 2E diagnosis requires knowledge and resources.

Sure, but appealing is just a sheet of paper. You don't need a new 2E diagnosis for that.

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

You are leaving out "and actually have an LD or ADHD or disability that is diagnosed by a professional through testing."

Sure, but getting a 2E diagnosis requires knowledge and resources.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

You are leaving out "and actually have an LD or ADHD or disability that is diagnosed by a professional through testing."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

That’s not what backdoor means. Now you’re talking about equity, which is something different.

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Anonymous wrote:People are desperate for AAP because the behavior problems are less severe in the AAP classroom compared to the gen ed one, and there aren't kids way below grade level taking all of the teacher's time. Above average kids left in gen ed at the lower or middle of the road SES schools end up doing a lot of independent work or computer programs rather than having much interaction with the teacher.

The bolded part is 100% accurate. As a teacher at their elementary school, I saw this happening with my kids and was desperate for them to get into a full time AAP Level IV program so they would have a teacher who would spend time teaching them something rather than focusing on all of the below grade level kids. We screwed up badly in not considering the schools when we moved here.

Do you think this is true today because they are so against ability grouping? Personally, I gave up on early ES teaching my kids anything and accept it's on me to teach reading and math up until 3rd or 4th.

Probably. The theory is that all the kids should be kept together and teachers should differentiate their instruction based on the individual students' abilities, but from what I'm seeing, it rarely happens in our school. Teachers are either too overwhelmed with trying to help out those who are below grade level, or just don't want to bother with any additional lesson planning to accommodate a few kids who are at the higher end. We have an AART who can provide lessons and ideas on how to challenge the high end kids, but often teachers (especially newer ones, who tend to feel a little overwhelmed anyway) don't bother implementing anything our AART offers.

I have one gen ed kid and one committee placed kid. What you wrote is why test scores matter. Our neighborhood base school has a very high SOL pass and pass advanced rate. I think our child there is getting a really good education. Other near by schools have much lower scores. There are parents at the center who wanted to keep their kids local, but moved because of what you and PP describe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.

NP, that's exactly what it is when it is limited to a subset with the knowledge and means to get the diagnosis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I totally missed the train on anything AAP related. I didn't realize this was something parents plan and prep for (I'm not from here). I now have a 1st and 3 grader who are very good students but it's becoming apparent that our school environment is not really helping them. There's a lot of disruption in the classroom and good students just go unnoticed. My 3rd grader did not get a high enough score in 2nd grade for AAP. I am not really surprised since he pretty much didn't learn anything during the pandemic (we didn't have a tutor, he hated on-line school and I was overwhelmed). I feel bad for not even trying. What's the way to go? Prep and ask if he can take a COGAT, like PP mentioned?

I think they can take the CogAT one more time through FCPS, so ask the AART about that. They can also take the CogAT or WISC privately if you pay for it. Just apply again next year (the deadline is in December) with new test scores and make sure to submit all of the parent referral forms and some work samples from your DC.

Yes, parents with deep pockets can manage the appeals process and fund private diagnoses to get their children in the backdoor. It's more common than many would like to admit.

Good lord you show up on every single thread and I truly don’t understand your motivation in posting this nonsense. I have a kid who got in unprepped, first round, at a high SES school w no diagnosis and I don’t see any peers who got in on appeal as less than. Your comments are offensive to 2E kids. Additional testing/diagnosis is not a backdoor.