How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

Anonymous wrote:If I had to do it over again, I think I would have encouraged DD to take Honors classes instead of AAP in seventh and eighth grade. I think she would still have been challenged without the additional homework and she would have had more time to focus on her high school level Language and Math classes (grades which count on the high school transcript unless expunged).

So you would have backed your kid out of AAP into Gen Ed?

I know of more than one kid who went through AAP in elementary, then chose "all honors" at our base middle school, and had transferred to the AAP Center middle school by mid-fall because they felt the honors courses were too easy. Either choice is perfectly fine, and of course everyone should do what's best for their child's individual needs, but understand that they are not the same level of academic rigor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't have AP in 9th grade do they? We are new to the US so I am still a bit confused about it all...

AP means "advance placement" courses, not AAP - which ends in 8th.

I thought AP started in 11th grade?

Honors only in 9th grade. Students can take AP World History and AP Stats starting in 10th.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't have AP in 9th grade do they? We are new to the US so I am still a bit confused about it all...

AP means "advance placement" courses, not AAP - which ends in 8th.

I thought AP started in 11th grade?

In 9th grade, the only options are Honors classes. Starting in 10th grade, there is (I believe) the option to take one AP class. You can take whatever you want in 11th and 12th.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ "Honors" is just a way of saying average or the middle level. I would think the equivalent of AAP in high school is AP classes.

That is incorrect. In middle school, "honors" is the higher level class, and in high school, there are three tiers: regular, Honors, and AP. Honors is in no way "average". And in high school, no one will ever, ever refer to AAP or who was in it.

no, in middle school AAP is the advanced, "honors" is the middle (average), and gen ed (non-honors) is the regular classes. So honors is the middle.

At our middle school, Honors is the highest as there is (thankfully) no AAP. Honors is not considered average at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't have AP in 9th grade do they? We are new to the US so I am still a bit confused about it all...

AP means "advance placement" courses, not AAP - which ends in 8th.

I thought AP started in 11th grade?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ "Honors" is just a way of saying average or the middle level. I would think the equivalent of AAP in high school is AP classes.

That is incorrect. In middle school, "honors" is the higher level class, and in high school, there are three tiers: regular, Honors, and AP. Honors is in no way "average". And in high school, no one will ever, ever refer to AAP or who was in it.

no, in middle school AAP is the advanced, "honors" is the middle (average), and gen ed (non-honors) is the regular classes. So honors is the middle.

Anonymous wrote:^ "Honors" is just a way of saying average or the middle level. I would think the equivalent of AAP in high school is AP classes.

That is incorrect. In middle school, "honors" is the higher level class, and in high school, there are three tiers: regular, Honors, and AP. Honors is in no way "average". And in high school, no one will ever, ever refer to AAP or who was in it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone give real life experience?

I have heard that the honors MS classes are very, very simple, and that the AAP MS classes are very, very time and homework intensive.

Honors at our local MS was a year of vacation for our DS. AAP is much harder. Could vary by school.

What is it like in high school? For those of you saying all Honors in MS are that simple, are all Honors classes in 9th grade easy to coast through too or is there a sudden jump up in level to allow for all these kids from AAP who have apparently been doing much more? I'm curious-my kid is rising 9th grade so am wondering! I know this is subjective, just curious about how hard my kid may have to work next year!

My children were not in AAP (then GT), but took all Honors in MS and in high school have had no trouble at all with their Honors and AP classes. A lot of AAP parents want others to believe that somehow, their AAP kids are going to be so much better prepared for higher level high school classes. The fact is, prior AAP participation has absolutely no bearing on how your child will perform in high school, especially if you have a bright, motivated child to begin with. Many kids just like this are not in AAP simply because they didn't quite pass the threshold on the admittance tests in 2nd grade. 2nd grade! Anyone who thinks not being in AAP will limit their child's future opportunities is just plain foolish.

Anonymous wrote:If I had to do it over again, I think I would have encouraged DD to take Honors classes instead of AAP in seventh and eighth grade. I think she would still have been challenged without the additional homework and she would have had more time to focus on her high school level Language and Math classes (grades which count on the high school transcript unless expunged).

This is an interesting comment that I hadn't considered. Also, FYI, I created a thread on this topic a month ago, although there really isn't that much info on the other thread.

Anonymous wrote:They don't have AP in 9th grade do they? We are new to the US so I am still a bit confused about it all...

AP means "advance placement" courses, not AAP - which ends in 8th.

They don't have AP in 9th grade do they? We are new to the US so I am still a bit confused about it all...

^ "Honors" is just a way of saying average or the middle level. I would think the equivalent of AAP in high school is AP classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone give real life experience?

I have heard that the honors MS classes are very, very simple, and that the AAP MS classes are very, very time and homework intensive.

Honors at our local MS was a year of vacation for our DS. AAP is much harder. Could vary by school.

What is it like in high school? For those of you saying all Honors in MS are that simple, are all Honors classes in 9th grade easy to coast through too or is there a sudden jump up in level to allow for all these kids from AAP who have apparently been doing much more? I'm curious-my kid is rising 9th grade so am wondering! I know this is subjective, just curious about how hard my kid may have to work next year!