<p>My S was able to place out of the foreign language requirement using only Latin 3. The teacher had high expectations, and these paid off!</p>
<p>As for AP-Calc, of course, it cannot be taught as a survey; but there are ways of teaching it that are better than others. One reason we were determined not to inflict the class on our S was that the AP-Calc teacher boasted that she assigned a huge number of exercises. We did not think our S would stand for it. He borrowed a book and his dad assigned as many problems as he felt were needed for S to get it, and a kind retired Ap-Calc teacher helped my S prepare for the exam, focusing on the proper way to answer the Free Response Questions. I suspect my S did only a fraction of the homework the teacher assigned to the AP-Calc students and enjoyed the experience a great deal more.</p>
<p>Our experience with history classes was similar. Oldest son took a non-honors American studies class, and wrote two long papers and a number of one-page essays; middle son took APUSH, memorized a lot, and wrote very little. He got a 5 on the AP but I think the other class would have been better for him.
OTOH I’m actually pretty impressed with the curriculum for AP bio; it covers a lot of stuff, some of it pretty recent.</p>
<p>Our son’s AP Calc teacher told the kid’s it was a college level class they could do as many homework problems as they felt necessary to make sure they understood the concepts.</p>
<p>My husband who was a bio major in college was very impressed with the AP bio course. The teacher complained that he had less luxury than a college prof would have had to tailor the material to what he thought was most interesting and important. But I thought everyone in that class got a good overview of the field.</p>
<p>The AP Bio course blows me away- and I was premed. The amount of material crammed in is unbelievable. D is already panicking at the amt she will need for the exam. I have encouraged her not to take AP Euro. She is interested in history, and I think a non-survey course would suit her better.</p>
<p>Many students arrive at elite colleges loaded with AP credits, but I recently saw some stats about the number of students for whom those credits were actually needed to meet graduation requirements. I’m afraid I forget the exact number (getting to that age), but it was vanishingly small. In addition, some competitive colleges that grant credit for AP courses do so not for academic reasons, but because of pressure on the admissions side. (They know that their peers are awarding AP credits and that the advanced-placement credits are ultimately meaningless for the vast majority of students anyway, but they don’t believe that most students had an experience that approximated a college course.)</p>
<p>Maybe the main benefits of AP courses are those that “alter the program’s intent.” By providing a uniform curriculum, a standardized test, and a national “seal of approval,” they at least encouraged high schools to create what amounts to an extra, more challenging college-prep track in their curriculum. What’s gotten slightly out of hand, it seems to me, is the extent to which taking as many APs as possible is perceived as another requirement for admission to “the good schools.”</p>
<p>When an outstanding teacher who has a class that invites and forces critical thinking, analysis, and presentation of ideas, it can be a truly wonderful experience. I don’t doubt for a moment that such a class could be a better preparation for college if the teacher’s feedback in correcting the papers and shaping the class to step up the research and writing to a higher level. The problem is that more teachers claim that they are doing this than they are. And it is impossible for colleges to screen out individual teachers as such (though some colleges do for some schools where they get many students–there are legends even in the ivies of remarkable highschool teachers). Kids and parents are often not correct in their appraisals either. Especially if you are in a location that is away from the competitive areas that are replete with kids going to top colleges. I have often mentioned how impressed I was of some things that our schools provided in the midwest… until I came here and found the same things being done at a much higher level and with no fanfare. Just a matter of course. When my oldest son went to a private prep school in our old stomping grounds, I was horrified to learn that some of the teachers and administration there, including the headmaster, volunteered their services as part of a community outreach program to assist the local high school kids in writing their essays. That highschool was considered the best in the area; a top public school, and it was clear that the prep school did not think much of their efforts. THey felt there was absolutely no comparison it the quality of the writing between those public school kids and their own students, and the essays showed it. Along with the test scores and college acceptance rates to the top school. However, you can argue the public/private difference in that case. When I came here to NY where there are many top public schools, it became clearer what the competition is for spots at the most selective colleges. Families and kids too often are not in the position to judge how good a teacher is, how effective a course is as their opinions are biased and often not supported by info that someone who has seen similar classes nationwide may be. That is why the AP syllabus is valuable. If the material is covered, a kid has a shot at learning what is fundamental in the top college scene, and showing it on a national exam with national standards.<br>
There is a value to many of these courses that children enjoy. I would not discard them out of hand. THey came make life time differences in kids’ interests and attitudes, even if they are not technically “good” courses. In many cases, it would be a better choice to take such a course instead of the old AP grind. Depends on the kid and where he is on his academic journey. But if a student in an outlying area wants a shot at the top schools, and has the basic material to do so, if he is not taking the AP courses, he needs to find other venues to show selective schools that he is taking and excelling in high level courses, and learning those things that these schools consider important. I know kids who have gotten into highly selective schools with NO APs, but they had other things in their academic package that were strong indicators that they had the academic goods that such colleges demand.</p>