Big 3 private. If your kid is truly “gifted”🙄 they’ll have no problem getting in.

Oh get over yourself. I was gifted in a school system with no special programs. I was smart enough to figure out the vibe and read and learned a lot at home using library books. There are lots of programs and activities in Arlington. Library, rec centers, etc.
Go to nature centers learn about wildlife, then read more.
My mother asked if I could read a book at my desk if I finished in class work early.
The whole DCUM angst about keeping up is the cause. Kid is probably picking up your vibe they won't get T20.
I had bo enrichment, no AP, got into T5 on scores. I was gifted, lol.

For those with younger kids, the bar to get into the IB program is not high. It does not siphon off the students from the top of the heap like other programs in other districts might. I believe any student with an I believe any student with a B average or above is welcome to apply. Also, HB is a lottery that has nothing to do with academics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

Yorktown is very high SES but it has only a handful of NMSF semifinalists. If your hypothesis is right it should be like Mclean

Not a direct comparison because of APS's option program. The top kids transfer to WL for IB

No. Not even close. A lot of top students don't transfer. Someone here keeps pushing this lie.

I'm very familiar with YHS, thanks. You are correct that a lot of top students do not leave YHS. But also, some do go to IB at WL. A few more go to HB. This is different from the FCPS system, so I don't think you can just make the direct comparison that you so desperately want to make. And for what it's worth, I do agree with you that FCPS is stronger for high achieving students. Just pointing out the flaw in your "methodology."

Wait, some "top" students go to H-B? There aren't enough of those kinds of kids enrolled there anymore for your numbers to add up given that there are two other high schools in the county they pull from.

Before packing up and moving to FCPS, are you certain your child will qualify for AAP? FCPS has its own issues with parents striving to get their kids into AAP or feeling left behind. You don't want to move to FCPS to AAP and then not get in.

I work in an ed adjacent area. When parents describe their own child as "gifted," in reality, it varies from profoundly gifted to average.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Not going to put my kid but it’s a North Arlington school that is well regarded. If this is outside the norm then I’ll raise hell to get my kid out. Can you please let me know which school you had a good experience with that actually challenged your child?

Science Focus was good for my kids. Yes, the Gifted program was kind of a joke, but we always supplemented with teacher tutors that could help the kids stay advanced. Middle school at DHMS is OK, some advanced classes, but didn't like the no homework polices, and the ability to retake tests. Neither of my kid have ever made below an A at MS or HS, so there is a bit of grade inflation. But it gets better in HS when you can put your DC into Intensified classes, AP classes, IB classes. It's almost like in HS there are 2 schools - one for the kids on the advanced track (maybe 35%) and a school for the kid just wanting to get a High School degree. My advice, just hire someone every semester to keep your kid challenged - a lot cheaper than moving. It does get better.

Move to fairfax. Haycock or one of the Vienna elementaries. Seriously. Middle schools there have high achieving clubs and activities like robotics and math team. APS doesn’t offer those things in any serious way. I regret not moving. My kid now in TJ and parents descriptions of elementary and middle in fCPS is quite different from APS

Move or put her in private school. The government has no obligation to provide more for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

Yorktown is very high SES but it has only a handful of NMSF semifinalists. If your hypothesis is right it should be like Mclean

Not a direct comparison because of APS's option program. The top kids transfer to WL for IB

No. Not even close. A lot of top students don't transfer. Someone here keeps pushing this lie.

Some top APS students even attend *gasp* Wakefield.

OP, unless/until you move, send your kid with challenging books of interest that he can read in class after finishing his work. Also have a meeting with his teacher to discuss a plain. If the kid is crying about school, there’s likely more going on that just material that is “too easy.”

Sigh.

This post every year. North Arlington parents, who went to HLS or Georgetown or UVA, believe their snowflake is gifted. Smarter than the other stupid children from, say, dumb Va Tech that they are stuck in school with. I mean, your poor child’s cohort must be filled with absolute idiots. I sympathize

Then the whole they aren’t learning anything all day from the really terrible teachers in APS. I feel your pain. I mean, you should definitely get them into a CHALLENGING elementary school. Look at Sidwell or Beauvoir or GDS or Potomac, where those kids are being taught some hard core stuff. Oh wait. Have you actually looked at what the top elementary programs consist of?

You need some perspective. In 3rd grade, your kid needs mostly to learn some social skills. And to learn how to get along with other nice smart kids, which is who actually attends your kids elementary school. And then read a bunch. That’s it. Maybe discover love of, I dunno, skateboarding. Your kid is going to be way better off if you let them enjoy their childhood. But whatever you push. And see what it gets you. My take is this is your first kid/first rodeo, you have no perspective, and you are one of those overly competitive people who actually have difficultly in the real world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

Yorktown is very high SES but it has only a handful of NMSF semifinalists. If your hypothesis is right it should be like Mclean

Not a direct comparison because of APS's option program. The top kids transfer to WL for IB

No. Not even close. A lot of top students don't transfer. Someone here keeps pushing this lie.

I'm very familiar with YHS, thanks. You are correct that a lot of top students do not leave YHS. But also, some do go to IB at WL. A few more go to HB. This is different from the FCPS system, so I don't think you can just make the direct comparison that you so desperately want to make. And for what it's worth, I do agree with you that FCPS is stronger for high achieving students. Just pointing out the flaw in your "methodology."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

It's not just a demographic question; a lot of parents of high-performing Arlington students tend to switch to private or move to Fairfax. The gifted program in FCPS isn't that great, but at least it exists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

Yorktown is very high SES but it has only a handful of NMSF semifinalists. If your hypothesis is right it should be like Mclean

Not a direct comparison because of APS's option program. The top kids transfer to WL for IB

Wait, wut? We always joke that Mclean, Langley, and Oakton are starting their JV squad because their varsity team tested into TJ...

This is less correct than it used to be -- TJ's numbers of national merit semi-finalists dropped in half this year, as the admissions changes that were implemented ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶d̶u̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶u̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶s̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ for equity purposes finally rolled through to the senior class.

It all went downhill after they switched from pull out to push in. We saw it in our own school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a coincidence that each of Langley and McLean has more National Merit Semifinalists this year than all four of the high schools in APS combined. If you want a more challenging pyramid (and many in APS don’t), that is where you should go.

Yeah, this definitely has nothing to do with the average household income of McLean vs Arlington/SES/demographics.🙄 I’m not saying that accounts for all of the difference, but it’s not insignificant.

Yorktown is very high SES but it has only a handful of NMSF semifinalists. If your hypothesis is right it should be like Mclean

Not a direct comparison because of APS's option program. The top kids transfer to WL for IB

No. Not even close. A lot of top students don't transfer. Someone here keeps pushing this lie.