A Warning to College Profs (W. Post)

[ucbalumnus]

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@lookingforward

Ucb, but kids and parents think AP’s are hot stuff, a special level of achievement. “As if” Johnny took college AP Govt. As if he’ll be seen as smarter and more motivated because he took it.

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<p>Even “AP lites” are often a special level of achievement chosen by smarter and more motivated students, in comparison to the regular versions of the courses that high schools offer as an alternative (or which would be the only versions of the courses in the absence of the AP versions). Sad, isn’t it?</p>

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@lookingforward

APs, if called “accelerated” or “high honors-” and actually taught at a rigorous level- could achieve the same academic end. It’s the equating it with college level or credit that bugs me. There is no standardization.

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<p>The original point of AP was to standardize courses and curricula for advanced high school students who could handle college level material as high school seniors, so that colleges would not have to individually evaluate every high school’s (e.g.) calculus course for placement into more advanced courses. But the proliferation of “AP lites” has gotten away from that. Indeed, it may be that they are now the primary motivation for many high schools to offer more rigorous versions of courses that are normally unchallenging to the better students.</p>