FCPS staff propose phased plan to bring Advanced Academic Program centers to every middle school
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Summary
Staff presented a multi‑phase proposal to expand AAP centers to all FCPS middle schools to increase equitable access, citing program standards, teacher readiness plans and estimated one‑time training costs; board members asked for audits of program fidelity, capacity analyses and clarification of 'critical mass.'
Fairfax County Public Schools staff presented a proposal at the May 7 work session to expand Advanced Academic Program (AAP) centers to every base middle school over a multi‑year, phased rollout.
Dr. Presidio said the proposal is designed to increase equitable access and reduce transportation burdens by keeping AAP students at their neighborhood middle school. The plan would require program standards (minimum two full class cohorts per grade per subject), teacher readiness expectations (three days of training plus job‑embedded coaching for part‑time teachers and formal endorsements for full‑time teachers), annual program fidelity reporting, and a phased implementation that targets facilities, training and cohort development. Staff showed a student‑by‑school analysis indicating sufficient eligible students at most sites and proposed mitigations for capacity‑constrained buildings.
Staff estimated one‑time professional learning costs and substitutes at approximately $110,000 per year for three years to train teachers during the contract day, a line item Dr. Presidio said would be offset over time by transportation savings from serving students at base schools. Board members supported the goal but asked for clarifications including: how 'critical mass' was defined (staff said two classes per grade per subject is the minimum), the difference in outcomes between centers with large versus small cohorts, facility impacts with and without temporary classrooms, and whether the standards and extracurricular enrichment tied to centers would be consistent across all sites.
Board members asked staff to provide comparative program performance for larger and smaller centers, certification counts for current center teachers, and to confirm transportation‑savings estimates. Staff said Poe Middle School is already in the approved phase and would serve as the immediate pilot while the phased rollout continues through later years to allow training and facility adjustments.
