Anonymous wrote:I am surprised a 130 WISC wouldn't get a child in no matter the GBRS or other scores that are not IQ tests. It gets a child into Mensa but not FCPS AAP. Give me a break!

https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/qualifying-test-scores/

I'm gifted! Based on old-school GRE. I had no idea. Feelin' super smart now.

I"m reading this thread b/c I have a gifted 2E kid and trying to figure out how best to engage school (not FFx)

I am following this thread and WORRIED!!!

Anonymous wrote:
You don’t think AAP has reading groups and differentiated math?? I promise you the highest reading group in any AAP class has only kids who are above grade level.

Do many center schools have differentiated math? The local center just has each AAP classroom follow the AAP math curriculum. They don't mix the AAP classrooms into a high AAP math one, a middle AAP math one, and a low AAP math one. Kids in AAP who are there for language arts but just average in math will still be in the same AAP math classroom as the kids who are highly gifted in math.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'm the PP right above this post. One of the reasons my child chose to remain in gen ed was that the classes at the base school each have about 22 kids/class, whereas the center has 30 kids in each AAP class, with many of those classes in trailers. I also wouldn't be too sure about the superior instruction. At least in gen ed, the kids in the highest reading group or the advanced math class are there because they're actually above grade level. In AAP, many kids are not above grade level in either math or language arts, so they're still slowing the class down and consuming more of the teacher's time.

You don’t think AAP has reading groups and differentiated math?? I promise you the highest reading group in any AAP class has only kids who are above grade level.

Well, obviously. You're just not guaranteed much more of the teacher's time and attention in AAP vs. gen ed. In both cases, the teacher will have to focus on lower achieving kids. Also, there are generally many more kids in an AAP classroom than in a gen ed one, which further divides the teacher's attention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

I'm the PP right above this post. One of the reasons my child chose to remain in gen ed was that the classes at the base school each have about 22 kids/class, whereas the center has 30 kids in each AAP class, with many of those classes in trailers. I also wouldn't be too sure about the superior instruction. At least in gen ed, the kids in the highest reading group or the advanced math class are there because they're actually above grade level. In AAP, many kids are not above grade level in either math or language arts, so they're still slowing the class down and consuming more of the teacher's time.

You don’t think AAP has reading groups and differentiated math?? I promise you the highest reading group in any AAP class has only kids who are above grade level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

I'm the PP right above this post. One of the reasons my child chose to remain in gen ed was that the classes at the base school each have about 22 kids/class, whereas the center has 30 kids in each AAP class, with many of those classes in trailers. I also wouldn't be too sure about the superior instruction. At least in gen ed, the kids in the highest reading group or the advanced math class are there because they're actually above grade level. In AAP, many kids are not above grade level in either math or language arts, so they're still slowing the class down and consuming more of the teacher's time.

Oops. To clarify, the PP above the quoted post. The 12:19 PP.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

I'm the PP right above this post. One of the reasons my child chose to remain in gen ed was that the classes at the base school each have about 22 kids/class, whereas the center has 30 kids in each AAP class, with many of those classes in trailers. I also wouldn't be too sure about the superior instruction. At least in gen ed, the kids in the highest reading group or the advanced math class are there because they're actually above grade level. In AAP, many kids are not above grade level in either math or language arts, so they're still slowing the class down and consuming more of the teacher's time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

If there were less children in AAP, would you also be concerned about general ed classes?

I hear from John Oliver that it is fewer, not less.
I don’t like people correcting grammar, but I feel like where you’re going with your question is that there are too many merely smart kids muddying the learning your brilliant kid can do in AAP.

It sounds to me like you do like people correcting grammar since you're doing it yourself. I am not the person who posted that question, but I thought where it was going is that "merely smart" kids can bolster the gen ed learning environment -- not that "merely smart" kids are watering down AAP. Plenty of people have asserted the latter, but I don't think that's the point the previous poster was making.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

If there were less children in AAP, would you also be concerned about general ed classes?

I'd like my child to receive advanced instruction but if he is not going to get advanced instruction than I'd like him to have more teacher interaction. My desires don't really matter though because we can't afford to do anything but suffer in large FCPS classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

If there were less children in AAP, would you also be concerned about general ed classes?

I hear from John Oliver that it is fewer, not less.
I don’t like people correcting grammar, but I feel like where you’re going with your question is that there are too many merely smart kids muddying the learning your brilliant kid can do in AAP.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

If there were less children in AAP, would you also be concerned about general ed classes?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

I think the curriculum is more advanced, I don't agree that the instruction is superior.

Whether the instruction is superior is defined by the teacher and the materials they choose to use. There are no set teaching methods or materials for either general ed or AAP. AAP is advanced instruction. That's all.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

I think the curriculum is more advanced, I don't agree that the instruction is superior.

I'm not the poster who posted about private (Can't afford it) but I agree that the class sizes in FCPS are too big and I too worry about my child being in a large gen ed class. There is nothing we can do about it since we're too poor to afford private school but I'd have less angst if I thought my child would be in a gen ed class where he would get more teacher attention. I know the AAP class sizes are large but at least there he would get superior instruction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A child who doesn't do AAP is still 100% on track to fit-in in HS with kids who went to AAP.... IF that is what the child has the drive to do.

+1 People are acting like "getting stuck in Gen Ed" is a national tragedy. There are plenty of great teachers and kids in Gen Ed, including my daughter. I have no doubt she will succeed in life, with or without AAP.

+1. I have one kid who qualified for Level IV but chose to remain at the base school in gen ed (Level III). That child is taking advanced math, which is pretty much the same as AAP math, the Level III pull-outs are ongoing science research projects and presentations, which are pretty neat, and that child still has excellent teachers. As a result of being a big fish in a small pond, my child is on the student council and participates in numerous academic competition teams, since there is much less competition for limited spots on the teams. I'll admit that the language arts education is much weaker for this child, but we feel that the other advantages compensate for that.

Yes, there are some kids who genuinely need AAP, but those kids are pretty rare. Most bright, motivated kids will bloom wherever they're planted.