APAAS

Does anyone have any experience with the APAAS program they are willing to share? I found some not so great reviews online (a lot of homework, strict teachers who discipline the kids, etc), but the reviews were older, so was wondering maybe if improvements have been made or perhaps these reviews had specific biases. My kid would be going to 4th grade next year and we have applied, but I?d like some feedback from someone who?s child has gone through it and if there were any particular benefits vs. the GATE program. 

It is really hard to talk about how a program is because it really depends on the kids.  I know many parents who have kids in APAAS and the review is wide ranging.  Some kids love...most are meh...and some hate it. 

I did not have my daughter go because I did not believe that the extra work and distance from home were worth the aggravation.  The only thing that I know is a "benefit" is that APAAS can get a lower grade in 6th grade and still qualify for honors classes in middle school.

I would say that you really need to figure out and be realistic about your kids' abilities and academic skills.  Personally, I would err on the side of the staying in your neighborhood school but it is really an individual decision.

I agree with Irvine commuter. It depends on the student. My son is in APAAS in Deerfield and he loved it (even though the program is online only this year).

I think the main difference between GATE and APAAS is that APAAS program is very hands on (at least in 4th grade Deerfield, which is all I know about). For example, when they were learning about the California Missions, their assignment was to create a Google Map showing the route the missionaries took and create essentially a movie talking about the different missions. I thought that led to a much better learning experience than just reading and discussing. In geography, one assignment was to make a song/music video talking about the geography/famous landmarks/etc. for an area of CA assigned to each group.

So, in some ways, it is a little bit of non-traditional learning. Give it a try - you can always get out of APAAS if you don't like it. If you miss the chance, it is harder to get in in 5th and 6th grades.

Hope this helps!

Sandi, how long is your child spending on homework every day? Is there weekend homework too?

One problem I noticed with APAAS is that none of the elementary schools feed into Jeffrey Trail middle school or Portola High. They have two APAAS schools in Northwood, but none in PS/GP/WB/CV.

The problem with APAAS is it could be your non-neighborhood school.

That's why GATE works because it's "advanced" coursework but within your area so your kids will have friends who are close to them... if that's important to you.