Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even so, would never write with certainty that my child will be starting next year. Best way to tempt the fates!

I agree. DD has a 139 composite on CogAT, a 145 NNAT and a 149 WISC and I'm not "99.9% sure" she'll get in.

i'm 100% sure she's in

Anonymous wrote:Even so, would never write with certainty that my child will be starting next year. Best way to tempt the fates!

I agree. DD has a 139 composite on CogAT, a 145 NNAT and a 149 WISC and I'm not "99.9% sure" she'll get in.

Even so, would never write with certainty that my child will be starting next year. Best way to tempt the fates!

Not the poster, a different poster.
However based on the scores and my observation, I'm 99.9% sure my kid will get in.
NNAT 150+, CogAt Composite 140+.

If for some strange reason my dc gets low gbrs and declined, go with WISC and get in.
I trust the system.

You can never assume. A kid with scores that are 140+ can get denied based on their GBRS. There is no guarantee until you have that eligibility letter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...and my DS3 will be attending AAP next year as a 3rd grader...

How do you already know that your DS3 will get in?

Exactly. Notification for fall 2012 placement for FCPS students does not get sent out until the end of April. Perhaps the PP has a 2nd grader that is moving into the area, but even then, I don't think they hear about fall 2012 placement that quickly.

I was wondering the same thing!! Seems pretty presumptuous!!

Anonymous wrote:...and my DS3 will be attending AAP next year as a 3rd grader...

How do you already know that your DS3 will get in?

I'm not so sure that I agree with "starting our kid's in the Rat Race" comments. Aren't we limiting our children if we push low expectations upon them? I tell my children that coming in third place in a race, although a commendable accomplishment for most runners, is not an accomplishment for the fastest (or second fastest) runner in the race. If my children resent me for ensuring that they have the broadest set of options available to them, then I will openly accept that parental burden of doing what is right for them vice what is easiest for them.

I find it odd that pushing kids to excel in sports is socially more acceptable (e.g., striving to have kids "make the travel team" or make varsity) than have kids excel in an academic arena.

Anonymous wrote:Same thing as making a varsity sport team importance.

Actually, a really good analogy:

Athletics is to varsity team as academics is to Advanced Academic Program.

Just as varsity sports allow athletes to compete at a higher level with team mates of similar ability and focus, AAP allows students to learn at a higher level with classmates of similar ability and focus.

Same thing as making a varsity sport team importance.

0016: except there is no natural selection. It is a process defined by humans. Humans are flawed. There are two places where parents can get active: 1) parental referral, and 2) appeals.

There are a variety of reasons why children do not make the pool. Parental referral offsets that. Basically, the purpose of the pool is to avoid overloading the process requiring local committees to evaluate kids that clearly are not gifted. However, there are reasons why some kids do not test well unrelated to intelligence or ability. So, parents can refer. That is defined in the process.

As for appeals, when I hear about kids scoring 145 on the WISC for appeal, I know the process is needed.

Anonymous wrote: The way some folks go about it, it is sort of funny (in an ironic way) to see the rat race begin so early in these kids' life.

Yes - it is somewhat reminiscent of the craziness of getting into the right preschool.

http://nymag.com/nymetro/urban/education/features/15141/

Fair point, PP.

My take is there is nothing wrong in being naturally selected into an AAP program, as long as parents do not make it a competitive sport. But as all things in life, reality diverges from the ideal quite a bit.

Bottom line, it is only a big deal if you choose to make it, whatever be the arguments for or against. And BTW, it will be personally clear to you if you want to make it into an obsession or not. The way some folks go about it, it is sort of funny (in an ironic way) to see the rat race begin so early in these kids' life.