I am not sure speaking to the principal is worth the time. In my experience, the principal just backs the status quo. However, it is the correct move, before going up any higher to get a result.

In our first grade class last year, the teacher clearly did not spend similar amounts of time working with each group. My daughter was very clear in saying that her reading group (which was the top one) met with the teacher the least.

Usually in small groups, the teachers spends similar amounts of time working with each group. Are you saying that in your child's class the "average" kids are consistently left by themselves with no support from the teacher? This is not the way groupings have worked in any of the schools my children have attended and is not the way it is supposed to be. If this is happening on a regular basis, you may want to speak to the teacher to see what her take on the situation is. You may even need to speak to the principal if it continues to be an ongoing situation. This is not the norm in the FC schools I'm familiar with. All the children deserve their teacher's attention, whether they are average, advanced, or remedial.

Anonymous wrote:so only the remedial kids are with the class teacher. never the average kids. you are only looking at it from 1 perspective. before the aap kids were working on their own while the average kids were are the seperate table getting small group attention. with the aap kids out of the way my child gets much more attention from the teacher. DC can finally be the first one to answer questions, score are the top of the class, be in the high reading group. DC doesn't feel like everyone is smarter than her. Our teachers give appropriate work for her level.

Your sentence above doesn't make sense, you've contradicted yourself.

My child has been in two different FCPS schools and I'm speaking from my experience.

You sound like a parent with an AAP child trying to make it seem like Gen Ed classes are better now for all the poor kids who could never raise their hand fast enough since your snowflake was just so much better than everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For example, you think most students will be ok with skipping 3rd grade math and going straight to 4th grade math?

No! Most students would be ok with learning in a more interesting, experiential way. Not necessarily at the pace of AAP but with the techniques that AAP uses.

I'm not sure if AAP is about more interesting, experiential way.
It's about more depth and faster pace.

Do you have a child in AAP? It may be depth and pace, but much of it seems to be different learning techniques (at least at Haycock where my child goes).

so only the remedial kids are with the class teacher. never the average kids. you are only looking at it from 1 perspective. before the aap kids were working on their own while the average kids were are the seperate table getting small group attention. with the aap kids out of the way my child gets much more attention from the teacher. DC can finally be the first one to answer questions, score are the top of the class, be in the high reading group. DC doesn't feel like everyone is smarter than her. Our teachers give appropriate work for her level.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I agree that it is faster paced. However, we should be raising the bar for all students. I think aap should be in every classroom and the slower kids should be pulled out. That is how it was when I was a kid. Remedial got pulled and everyone else got challenged. These days it is remedial and the advanced get pulled. The average, the majority,just sit and spin all day, every day.

Also, if fcps actually implemented differentiated instruction, this would be a nonissue. However, the reality remains that is a just a set of words with no meat behind it. Teachers don't differentiate, they just don't, unless for sped or ESOL. These are the facts.

EXACTLY! For example, in my son's class, the AAP kids are already out, then the level 3 kids get pulled out to work in a small group with the AART teacher, the class teacher gives a brief 5 min. lesson and then the class is put into groups to complete their assignment. The ESOL kids are in a small group with the ESOL teacher, the remedial kids are with the class teacher at a separate table getting small group attention.

The average kids are completely on their own.

They could being doing their work or twiddling their thumbs, but they are on their own.

The classroom and the curriculum just needs to be challenging for ALL. Those that can't keep up or need additional help should be getting help outside the class. Enough credit is not given to these kids, they CAN DO the work. It might be harder for them at first and maybe the pace should be slower, but the depth and investigation is NECESSARY and being neglected.

The main issue is that the class size is too large. It is even hard for differentiation because it is rare that you have 30 children all advanced or 30 children all slow. If the class size were around 20 children and say 4 classrooms instead of 3, you would probably see differentiation happen more easily just due to the fact that they can more easily group these smaller sets of children.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I agree that it is faster paced. However, we should be raising the bar for all students. I think aap should be in every classroom and the slower kids should be pulled out. That is how it was when I was a kid. Remedial got pulled and everyone else got challenged. These days it is remedial and the advanced get pulled. The average, the majority,just sit and spin all day, every day.

Also, if fcps actually implemented differentiated instruction, this would be a nonissue. However, the reality remains that is a just a set of words with no meat behind it. Teachers don't differentiate, they just don't, unless for sped or ESOL. These are the facts.

How about breaking it into three levels:
1 AAP
2 Average - raise the bar or do whatever appropriate for the group
3 Below Average slower kids

Yes, I agree that it is faster paced. However, we should be raising the bar for all students. I think aap should be in every classroom and the slower kids should be pulled out. That is how it was when I was a kid. Remedial got pulled and everyone else got challenged. These days it is remedial and the advanced get pulled. The average, the majority,just sit and spin all day, every day.

Also, if fcps actually implemented differentiated instruction, this would be a nonissue. However, the reality remains that is a just a set of words with no meat behind it. Teachers don't differentiate, they just don't, unless for sped or ESOL. These are the facts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For example, you think most students will be ok with skipping 3rd grade math and going straight to 4th grade math?

No! Most students would be ok with learning in a more interesting, experiential way. Not necessarily at the pace of AAP but with the techniques that AAP uses.

I'm not sure if AAP is about more interesting, experiential way.
It's about more depth and faster pace.

Anonymous wrote:For example, you think most students will be ok with skipping 3rd grade math and going straight to 4th grade math?

No! Most students would be ok with learning in a more interesting, experiential way. Not necessarily at the pace of AAP but with the techniques that AAP uses.

For example, you think most students will be ok with skipping 3rd grade math and going straight to 4th grade math?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does "concentric" mean. Think about it. Don't use the internet, though. If I say the earth's layers are concentric, what does this mean.This is a great question for an in class quiz. This truly separates GT from avg, IMHO. Of course, there is a hint, the root word and the prefix. Even if your child doesn't know that, by simply looking at the picture of the earth's layers, one should be able to define the word. AAP has become the land of the pushy parents' club. Of course, I add myself into this category. However, mine had a score in the 150s and a 16 on the GBRS.

I don't see how this question separates the GT from the average. The bolded sentence that you stated explains why it doesn't, the non-GT kids are average not mentally disabled. They are taught since Kindy to look at pictures of stories and try to figure out what the story is about.

The main difference I see b/w AAP classes and gen. ed classes are that the gen. ed. classes are MISSING the critical thinking components that those in AAP classes have.

NO ONE should need to be in special classes to learn critical thinking SKILLS.

^^AGREE!!!!^^

Agree also. I have a child in AAP and have always wondered why gen Ed can't use the same techniques and just move at a slower pace. AAP methods seem so much more interested than the SOL force feeding that takes place in gen ed. McLean pyramid is starting to do this, so I am encouraged.

Real creativity is not in the work, but asking the right questions. Darwin, Galileo challenged the questions. Einstein asked the question, what would happen if you were riding at the speed of light. The rest falls out by deduction and observation.