FAQ GATE/APAAS - Irvine Unified School District

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Q. What criteria are used for the APAAS selection process? A. A review committee analyzes each applicant’s achievement test scores, OLSAT and/or IQ scores (if available), classroom grades, level of instruction received, and an assessment of social and emotional compatibility. Q. How will I know if APAAS is the right placement for my child? A. Students who are successful in the APAAS program are individuals who have a high level of curiosity, need to work at a more accelerated pace in all subjects, and manage their time well to complete assignments. APAAS students benefit from working with others who are like-minded, prefer handling more difficult assignments, and are comfortable with expressing their ideas in writing. Q. Will my child be studying different curriculum in an APAAS class than students in regular classes? A. The state of California has set curriculum content and performance standards for all grades K-12. APAAS teachers follow the same guidelines as regular classes. However, since APAAS students need a more rigorous curriculum to meet their academic needs, teachers are able to study topics in greater depth; address more complex questions; and do less review and remediation than in a regular class. Q. Will my child’s class be smaller than a regular class? A. APAAS classes generally have 32-35 students. How well do students adjust to moving to a new school in order to attend an APAAS program? A. This depends on many factors including the age and maturity of the child; his / her temperament; whether the child has friends in the program already; and the child’s desire to be in an accelerated class. Most students make the adjustment over a period of a few months. B. Students offered placement in an APAAS class will be invited to a “Meet & Greet” session. Q. How much homework will my child encounter in this program? A. The district guideline for homework is approximately 45 minutes to one hour per night. However, APAAS students, like students in regular classes, will sometimes have more homework than this. Several factors affect the amount of time an individual will spend on homework including whether a student is involved in a long range project, in addition to daily assigned homework; the accelerated pace of the program; and how well the student uses class time to complete work assigned during the day. In any given APAAS classroom, some students will finish homework in a relatively short time, while others will take much longer. In general, students with good time management skills find the homework load in APAAS to be fair. Q. My child is involved in several extracurricular activities. Will the added rigor of this program be too much for him /her? A. Many successful APAAS students participate in extracurricular sports, music, and other programs. However, most students find they need some unscheduled time during the day and/or week in order to maintain a healthy attitude and perform at their best. 2
Q. Are children ever counseled out of the APAAS program? A. Occasionally teachers and parents working together determine that APAAS is not a good match for a particular child. Some students realize that they prefer being at the top of a regular class, other students want to go back to friends or don’t have the work ethic necessary to keep up with the demands of the program. While few students are counseled out of the program, the possibility underscores the importance of assessing the student’s desire to be in the program when first applying. Q. Will my student get into the APAAS school closest to our home? A. Usually, but not necessarily. Due to availability, the number of students applying, and the individual student’s qualifications, logistical placement is not always possible. Q. Is transportation provided? A. No, parents are responsible for student transportation to and from all GATE & APAAS locations. Q. How do I obtain an APAAS interest/application form? A. Forms are updated each year in February. To obtain an APAAS interest/application form visit our website at www.iusd.org/parent_resources/gate/gate.htm. Forms are also available at this orientation meeting. Completed forms may be dropped off in the provided box. Q. How and when does the process begin? A. Screening process is initiated when parents complete and submit an APAAS interest/application form to the GATE/APAAS Department, 5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604. Q. When is the deadline for submitting an interest/application form? A. Applications must be post marked on or before March 10, 2006. Late applications will not be accepted. Q. Who makes up the review committee? A. Beth Andrews, APAAS Coordinator, each APAAS school’s principal, APAAS teachers, and Mark Sontag, Education Services Coordinator. Q. Once selected for APAAS, must I reapply each year? A. Existing APAAS students fill out an APAAS Continuation Form through their APAAS teacher. Q. When and how will I be notified if my student has been selected for APAAS? A. Students and parents are notified by mail of acceptance or rejection within the first three weeks of May. To confirm acceptance of placement, a signed tear-off must be returned. Q. What if my student is not selected to participate in APAAS? GATE identified students will participate in the school’s GATE cluster classroom. An APAAS wait-list is created for each site and grade level, and students are informed if openings occur during the beginning of the school year. 3
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FAQ GATE/APAAS - Irvine Unified School District

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