Impending Significant Change in AP Tests

mathinokc
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:44:28 +0000

There are good things about AP, IB and dual enrollment.

In particular, AP and IB provide some outside standards. In Oklahoma, there are state end-of-instruction exams in just a few (7) courses (Alg I, Alg II, Geometry, English II, English III, Biology I, and US History). Of those tests, a student only has to pass 4 (2 must be English II and Algebra I) to graduate. Outside of those courses, there’s not much accountability at all for course content. School report cards tend to focus on EOI scores and ACT scores.

There are plenty of students who come to the local community college from the local urban school district with good grades and high level courses, but who place into remedial math and writing; local standards clearly aren’t enough. The AP exam scoring gives an indication of whether the course actually is of the appropriate difficulty.

Or, you could have a situation like I did in high school. Our high school US History course was supposed to be a 2nd half US History course, more or less 1877 to the present. The “best” history teacher at my high school spent almost all the first semester on reconstruction. By the end of the second semester, we were at the prelude to WWI. That’s where our study of US History ended. The course was by no means easy, but it didn’t cover enough content for a survey course. The teacher was well known and no one dared to question him. AP scores would have been a “neutral party” evaluating the course.

Did you know that some school districts consider the 4th year of foreign language the AP level? And that others consider the 5th year of language the AP level? And in still others it’s the 6th year? Obviously, it’s not the number of years of class that matter as much as reaching the expected level of ability. The AP Exam validates that.

I also don’t think we need to apologize for teaching the best students appropriately.

If at all possible, it’s better that students not face their first real academic challenge when they’re away at college – it’s better to encounter that challenge for the first time in the more supportive environment of a high school and while living at home. For many students, AP classes are that challenge.

My daughter’s school offers only regular and AP/pre-AP classes (for example, the 400+ sophomores can take English II or pre-AP English II. Juniors can take English III or AP English Language). Remove the AP designation and they’d find some other way to split the students into some rough ability groups (there aren’t any formal admissions standards for the AP classes and anyone can sign up, so it’s not the dreaded “tracking”).

There are plenty of problems with the AP program/exams, but I’d hate to see it go without any idea of what might replace it.