There's way more than 5% of the kids receiving AAP Level IV - but the test cutoffs are at 5%.

Right? Am I misunderstanding something? Somehow there's another 10+% of all kids who are getting the Level IV even though their tests scores weren't above cutoff?

So how does that happen? Parents shoving their kids through those committees?

It's all about making sure the right distribution of melanin shows up in the class photos.

My guess is that the "5%" is based on nationwide test results - so it includes kids from bumfuck towns and kids from highly-educated areas. Our area is such that about 20% of kids test in the top 5% nationwide.

That would mean that my child, that was not accepted into AAP Level IV because she only scored in the top 8% - was really only in the top 25% or so in this area?

And the 8% figure was nationwide?

I find it hard to believe that's the answer because of my child's exceptional brilliance. Surely she's smarter than 3 out of 4 kids in her class - yet no Level IV for her.

There must be a conspiracy.

AAP in elementary school is overrated. In the grand scheme of a child's education, this is small.

Signed,

a parent whose child was not in AAP, but is at college doing fine

Is your child a boy?

I would like to know the percentage of girls to boys in the elementary AAP? I would not be surprised to see 60-40 or even 70-30. If you go to a high school graduation, count the number of girls vs. boys who are wearing a sash (honors). It is heavily tilted towards girls. Maybe TJ is the exception, but the other schools are this way. Then look at colleges---it's the same story and this is a story that needs to be discussed. We are not doing well with boys, but we are focused on an achievement gap that deals with color. There is a huge elephant in the room and I have a feeling that if we dealt with it we could help the color achievement gap as well.

So if you have a boy who didn't get into AAP, the chances are that he may be "gifted", but that the tests and the school atmosphere is not recognizing his potential. Don't worry. He can learn. Encourage him to read books he likes outside of school (my son read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy). Encourage his interests. This is how boys grow. They don't do so well with a standardized set of learning that someone else determines. They want to learn, but they are strongly pulled by their interests. If they don't see value in something, they won't do it. Girls tend to do things because they are motivated by the interpersonal aspect of school. I know this is a huge generalization and there are tons of individual differences, but the statistics are not lying about who is succeeding and going on to college.

You never see these statistics put out there for K-12.

Another thing---many boys like the "control" and "competitive" aspect of things. That's why they play video games at a far higher rate than girls do. I know this is another generalization and that there are individual differences, BUT these individual differences need to be taken into account in the educational process (the whole child). There is no "test" that I know of that measures these aspects of a person. Only the teacher can ferret out how a student learns (at least the teacher is in the best position to do this). The tests can only see what a person has learned. The "how" is much, much more important than the "what". If we don't know the "how", we can never get to the "what". The teacher is integral to observing and modifying both the curriculum and the strategies for students. Unfortunately, in public schools, the bureaucracy hamstrings the teacher as far as the curriculum goes (and the standardized tests make the situation worse). If the teacher were allowed to create her own tests to measure and keep students accountable, the students would be more motivated (this is how it is done in Finland). Until this is recognized, we are going to have some "gaps". Also, we need to accept that people are "good at" different things in life. Our overall goal should be happiness and productivity for our citizens (no matter how that happens).

AAP Level IV services have been a gift for my family. Both my kids are in level I services and it has been awesome. They are well behaved and like to learn - same with most of the other AAP kids. I agree in the long run students not in the AAP program can excel in high school, college or their professions.

AAP is a way to provide a faster paced learning environment for kids that are good at school. It also provides more efficient teaching for the AAP kids and the mainstream kids. If my kids were in mainstream they would literally be doing nothing in class because they have always been 1-3 grade levels ahead of their ages. Before AAP in 3rd grade the teachers would just have to give them busy work.

Doesnt make my kids and better as people and it certainly does not mean kids not in AAP will never be excellent students.

*my kids have been in Level IV classes...

Is this about special ed? The short, yellow bus kids?

5% Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My guess is that the "5%" is based on nationwide
> test results - so it includes kids from bumfuck
> towns and kids from highly-educated areas. Our
> area is such that about 20% of kids test in the
> top 5% nationwide.

That is exactly it. Demographics are not consistent in every area. This area has a lot of high performers.