Anonymous wrote:DH and I are having a debate. He thinks EVERY kid is considered for full time AAP. I thought you specifically needed to apply for it (and it's just that all kids are considered for level 3.

Which one of us is correct?

both partially correct. The universal screener will identify top 10% in your local school and those are called "in-pool", means your kids are automatically referred by the score.
If you're not in-pool, you have to parent refer (apply) the student, and the teacher will add the material from school to complete the packet.

Above is only for level 4. For level 3, yes every kid is considered.

DH and I are having a debate. He thinks EVERY kid is considered for full time AAP. I thought you specifically needed to apply for it (and it's just that all kids are considered for level 3.

Which one of us is correct?

It seems like the hardest appeal would be a mediocre or worse HOPE score. If I were in that boat, I’d seek out other teachers who may be able to counter that narrative to see if they could write something on your student’s behalf.

Step one for non-eligible is get your application package from the AART or principal - ask for it today. Try to figure out where the weakness in the application lies, and counter that weakness in the appeal.

Good luck all. I really dislike this process and how it sorts kids at such an early age.

Anonymous wrote:My boy is in 2nd grade.
NNAT 149
NGAT 156
He didn’t get in. I think the possible reason is he’s a trouble maker in school.

ask your AART for the package they submitted, check the hope score. Schedule the WISC right away with GMU, you want to do this as soon as possible. work on your appeal letter to focus on social and emotional aspects of your child. I did extensive research on profoundly gifted children and their behavior and potential impact if they are not in the right peer group, quoted those researches in the appeal letter. This worked for my 5th grader when I had to appeal for him few years back (NNAT 160, CoGat 144, WISC 154).

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Anonymous wrote:4th grade - applied again after not getting in the last two years in a row. Probably put about 25% as much effort into her application this year as we did the last two years (including not even sending in work samples this year), so naturally this is the year she got in.

What do you think changed? my kid is 3rd grade this year and got rejected again second time and cant understand what is missing... is it math or reading ir writing or hope scale... can give more details what you did different this year? and maybe your kid got more additional classes somewhere? my kid used to go to RSM but in 2nd grade I took her out of it and I wonder maybe that was a mistake.

If your child needs RSM to get the test scores needed to get into AAP then your child doesn’t belong in AAP. Kids shouldn’t need tutoring or supplementation to be in AAP. The fact that they need help to be in slightly advanced classes in ES says they don’t need AAP.

AAP is not all that. Pushing your child to do extra work so they might get into a class that is going to require additional work is not a great idea. You are creating a spiral of pressure and additional support needs that will only build.

RSM is not tutoring or supplementation. It’s accelerated math. My 2nd grader attends AOPS, and I used math homework’s from there as the sample works from home. The math they teach in these places is beyond what they learn in school often 2 grades above their current grade material. My 2nd grader attends AOPS because he complained that he wasn’t learning math in school since 1st grade (he didn’t think counting and sorting as math). He’s eligible for AAP.

My boy is in 2nd grade.
NNAT 149
NGAT 156
He didn’t get in. I think the possible reason is he’s a trouble maker in school.

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Anonymous wrote:4th grade - applied again after not getting in the last two years in a row. Probably put about 25% as much effort into her application this year as we did the last two years (including not even sending in work samples this year), so naturally this is the year she got in.

What do you think changed? my kid is 3rd grade this year and got rejected again second time and cant understand what is missing... is it math or reading ir writing or hope scale... can give more details what you did different this year? and maybe your kid got more additional classes somewhere? my kid used to go to RSM but in 2nd grade I took her out of it and I wonder maybe that was a mistake.

If your child needs RSM to get the test scores needed to get into AAP then your child doesn’t belong in AAP. Kids shouldn’t need tutoring or supplementation to be in AAP. The fact that they need help to be in slightly advanced classes in ES says they don’t need AAP.

AAP is not all that. Pushing your child to do extra work so they might get into a class that is going to require additional work is not a great idea. You are creating a spiral of pressure and additional support needs that will only build.

Kids can have all sorts of teachers and learning experiences prior to AAP. Some might require some sort of supplementation at home because otherwise perfectly capable kid will not learn much..

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Anonymous wrote:4th grade - applied again after not getting in the last two years in a row. Probably put about 25% as much effort into her application this year as we did the last two years (including not even sending in work samples this year), so naturally this is the year she got in.

What do you think changed? my kid is 3rd grade this year and got rejected again second time and cant understand what is missing... is it math or reading ir writing or hope scale... can give more details what you did different this year? and maybe your kid got more additional classes somewhere? my kid used to go to RSM but in 2nd grade I took her out of it and I wonder maybe that was a mistake.

If your child needs RSM to get the test scores needed to get into AAP then your child doesn’t belong in AAP. Kids shouldn’t need tutoring or supplementation to be in AAP. The fact that they need help to be in slightly advanced classes in ES says they don’t need AAP.

AAP is not all that. Pushing your child to do extra work so they might get into a class that is going to require additional work is not a great idea. You are creating a spiral of pressure and additional support needs that will only build.

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Anonymous wrote:We applied from the private school and didn’t get in. How do we even know if we are “in pool” or not? Is it worth appealing? Also, we are about to change school pyramids and will provide a new address if we appealed. Does it make a difference?

I don’t think private school students can be in pool, that is only for FCPS students who take the ngat at the same time as the rest of their second grade cohort.

Do you think it makes sense to appeal? Also does it make a difference that we applied from Woodson HS pyramid and now we bought a new house and moved to Lake Braddock HS pyramid (which is I think less competitive in terms of parent population)? So when we appeal we will have a new address. Or it doesn’t make a difference?

Moving will not make a difference. If you have a new wisc score, then that might make an appeal worthwhile.

Got it, thank you! We didn’t take WISC. Is there still time for it (given appeal deadline is May 01)? Sorry for dumb questions, I am new to it.

Yes, there’s still time for a WISC and it provides really helpful info on your child’s learning strengths/ weaknesses etc, but I’d call soon to book it. You’ll hear on this forum that the committee will only except GMU for WISC but we had a successful appeal with a private WISC … in addition to submitting new work samples, and other school testing done after the packet was compiled.

Thanks a lot! Can you recommend a provider you used please?

FCPS seems to like GMU. For what it is worth, WISC scores don’t seem to have a lot of success based on what people have posted here.

WISC below 140 usually doesn’t have any weight. If your child can get 145 or above it’s worth submitting. That’s 99.9%.

Yikes 145? I’m sure most of the AAP students would only get a 130-135 if tested. What are they looking for? A prodigy?!

I don't think that's true. I successfully appealed for my son 2 years ago with a 136 WISC. That seemed to be around the threshold based on other posts here at the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4th grade - applied again after not getting in the last two years in a row. Probably put about 25% as much effort into her application this year as we did the last two years (including not even sending in work samples this year), so naturally this is the year she got in.

What do you think changed? my kid is 3rd grade this year and got rejected again second time and cant understand what is missing... is it math or reading ir writing or hope scale... can give more details what you did different this year? and maybe your kid got more additional classes somewhere? my kid used to go to RSM but in 2nd grade I took her out of it and I wonder maybe that was a mistake.

Let them know what your child is not getting by being rejected.

Anonymous wrote:2nd didn’t get in. I have had two older kids go through this and they got in the first round so not sure how the appeal process works. Is WISC mandatory for appeal and can we successfully appeal without it? Feeling a bit disheartened. The process has also changed so much and I’m still upset about them introducing NGAT and getting ride of Cogat which was a much more established testing tool.

WISC is not mandatory for appeal but I’d consider it depending on child’s scores and also, given how new NGAT is. Otherwise, you need to show any new info for appeal — That could be new work samples, new scores (Iready, MAP from winter/spring) etc.

Anonymous wrote:4th grade - applied again after not getting in the last two years in a row. Probably put about 25% as much effort into her application this year as we did the last two years (including not even sending in work samples this year), so naturally this is the year she got in.

What do you think changed? my kid is 3rd grade this year and got rejected again second time and cant understand what is missing... is it math or reading ir writing or hope scale... can give more details what you did different this year? and maybe your kid got more additional classes somewhere? my kid used to go to RSM but in 2nd grade I took her out of it and I wonder maybe that was a mistake.

Did you not read? The pp said his/her child was in pool, meaning that child had a really high score. And according to the posts here, we know a significant number of AAP kids don’t really have high scores.

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Anonymous wrote:I will say we got in this year (4th grade) after being ineligible the past two years and our test scores were high. We were in pool in 2nd and didn't get in. I'm now SUPER interested in her HOPE score because I think that is the difference.

Nah, the difference is most of the better kids had already gone to AAP in 2nd and 3rd grades. So, less competition in 4th grade.

Anonymous wrote:I will say we got in this year (4th grade) after being ineligible the past two years and our test scores were high. We were in pool in 2nd and didn't get in. I'm now SUPER interested in her HOPE score because I think that is the difference.

Nah, the difference is most of the better kids had already gone to AAP in 2nd and 3rd grades. So, less competition in 4th grade.

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Anonymous wrote:We applied from the private school and didn’t get in. How do we even know if we are “in pool” or not? Is it worth appealing? Also, we are about to change school pyramids and will provide a new address if we appealed. Does it make a difference?

I don’t think private school students can be in pool, that is only for FCPS students who take the ngat at the same time as the rest of their second grade cohort.

Do you think it makes sense to appeal? Also does it make a difference that we applied from Woodson HS pyramid and now we bought a new house and moved to Lake Braddock HS pyramid (which is I think less competitive in terms of parent population)? So when we appeal we will have a new address. Or it doesn’t make a difference?

Moving will not make a difference. If you have a new wisc score, then that might make an appeal worthwhile.

Got it, thank you! We didn’t take WISC. Is there still time for it (given appeal deadline is May 01)? Sorry for dumb questions, I am new to it.

Yes, there’s still time for a WISC and it provides really helpful info on your child’s learning strengths/ weaknesses etc, but I’d call soon to book it. You’ll hear on this forum that the committee will only except GMU for WISC but we had a successful appeal with a private WISC … in addition to submitting new work samples, and other school testing done after the packet was compiled.

Thanks a lot! Can you recommend a provider you used please?

FCPS seems to like GMU. For what it is worth, WISC scores don’t seem to have a lot of success based on what people have posted here.

WISC below 140 usually doesn’t have any weight. If your child can get 145 or above it’s worth submitting. That’s 99.9%.

Yikes 145? I’m sure most of the AAP students would only get a 130-135 if tested. What are they looking for? A prodigy?!

That PP has absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. We appealed w 132 WISC (private, not GMU) and excellent work samples to counter any testing or HOPE “weaknesses.” DC got in on appeal at a high-scoring center.

couple Asian families that I know with 130s WISC scores did not get in on appeals. But the families that got 145 or higher got in. My older boy got in with 154 WISC.

Did you read the rest of my post? It’s not *just* about the score. Work samples need to reflect the testing. As an aside, it’s weird that so many people share WISC scores with you.