Even if it's not a big ticket item, it seems that there would be some redundancy in having both classes if there isn't much of a difference. I keep hearing that in middle school it makes more of a difference though and our AAP teacher says there are a lot of parents who apply to AAP in 6th grade. Why bother if they are both the same?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honors and AAP have the same curriculum? Why have different names then? Is everyone encouraged to take honor courses now? I read this at our local middle school a year or so ago, but am not sure what it is like now.

In MS -Same curriculum, but they are still segregated. The thought is that the "level of student interaction" is higher in the AAP classes. It fosters some of the elitism. That is only for English, History and Science. Math it totally integrated between AAP and GE. Language, PE and other classes are integrated too. They are all together in HS in Honors or AP or IB.

ODS just got into NHS, induction is next week - I will be able to see if there is a good showing of both AAP and GE students there.

Our middle school (thankfully, a non-center) has honors classes and they are open to all. Plenty of AAP kids chose to go to this middle school over the center, and there is a big mix of GE/AAP kids in the honors classes. No one even knows or cares who was in elementary school AAP at this point. So much better than the center model of segregating the students. The segregation model only leads to false assumptions about ability levels. Which is why I'm debating taking my younger DC (a GE student) out of her center school.

who cares about honors, app, etc... those aren't the big budget items and actually produces better students.

Anonymous wrote:Honors and AAP have the same curriculum? Why have different names then? Is everyone encouraged to take honor courses now? I read this at our local middle school a year or so ago, but am not sure what it is like now.

In MS -Same curriculum, but they are still segregated. The thought is that the "level of student interaction" is higher in the AAP classes. It fosters some of the elitism. That is only for English, History and Science. Math it totally integrated between AAP and GE. Language, PE and other classes are integrated too. They are all together in HS in Honors or AP or IB.

ODS just got into NHS, induction is next week - I will be able to see if there is a good showing of both AAP and GE students there.

If honors and AAP are the same, we can at least eliminate bussing for middle school AAP centers. That should save something.

Honors and AAP have the same curriculum? Why have different names then? Is everyone encouraged to take honor courses now? I read this at our local middle school a year or so ago, but am not sure what it is like now.

^^^^^^
PP again: forgot to mention that the very idea of needing to remove my child from public school just so DC can receive an education equal to what the AAP kids get makes me ill. After all, we are all paying the same taxes to the school system. Why is it that kids with virtually identical abilities are receiving more? And why are so many kids labeled "gifted" or "AAP" when they are simply above average learners? This system has spiraled out of control and needs to be rectified.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

I have no statistics for you, only my own experiences. Both my (former GE) kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes in high school, as are their (former GE) classmates. Honestly, AAP has no bearing on future academic success, as much as some parents would like you to believe it does.

I think the kids who are about to get out of HS are the last cohort who were in ES before the focus on AAP reached a fever pitch. I am not so sanguine that current GE kids will hit HS equally confident in their own abilities and not keenly aware that FCPS treats them as second-class. It's time to scale back AAP dramatically, both to save money and put the entire system back on a more solid footing.

I'm the PP and I absolutely agree with you. I still have a child in elementary school, and with the way GE kids have dwindled and AAP numbers have swollen, there is no doubt current GE kids are feeling second-class. All they have to do is look around at the majority AAP classes. I'm seriously considering taking my smart GE child out of FCPS in order to give DC a decent education. AAP definitely needs to be scaled way back and GE classes need to have equal consideration.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

I have no statistics for you, only my own experiences. Both my (former GE) kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes in high school, as are their (former GE) classmates. Honestly, AAP has no bearing on future academic success, as much as some parents would like you to believe it does.

Similar experience here. Mine are in 9th and 11th grade and doing well in the Honors and AP classes. I think it depends on the local school, though. Our ES had many students kept at the local school instead of going to AAP, so while many went, there was still a large enough co-hort at the school. It was enough to have advanced math taught at the local school. Now it is a LLIV school and only a handful of kids go to the AAP center each year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

I have no statistics for you, only my own experiences. Both my (former GE) kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes in high school, as are their (former GE) classmates. Honestly, AAP has no bearing on future academic success, as much as some parents would like you to believe it does.

I think the kids who are about to get out of HS are the last cohort who were in ES before the focus on AAP reached a fever pitch. I am not so sanguine that current GE kids will hit HS equally confident in their own abilities and not keenly aware that FCPS treats them as second-class. It's time to scale back AAP dramatically, both to save money and put the entire system back on a more solid footing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

I have no statistics for you, only my own experiences. Both my (former GE) kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes in high school, as are their (former GE) classmates. Honestly, AAP has no bearing on future academic success, as much as some parents would like you to believe it does.

So, other than a few limited data points from personal experience, how do you know this?

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

I have no statistics for you, only my own experiences. Both my (former GE) kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes in high school, as are their (former GE) classmates. Honestly, AAP has no bearing on future academic success, as much as some parents would like you to believe it does.

Anonymous wrote:21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

Honors and AAP classes in Middle School have the same curriculum.

21:31 How many GE kids are doing well academically in high school? I'm sure there are a lot but are there statistics of AAP children verses general ed children passing AP courses for instance? My neighbor has a middle school child from GE and says she's excelling and getting great marks, but she's in honor classes which I read on this board is more like GE was growing up. She isn't in any AAP classes in middle school.

Anonymous wrote:Except for the fact that when they pay for it, more of the kids seem to meet the standards...........

People are studying to beat the test now, as it is. So sure, if it's so important to them, let them pay for it. Supply and demand. Better than raising everyone's property taxes.