<p>This question is for those of you whose schools end a month after AP testing. AP tests are optional for our students and some of the teachers have expressed disappointment at the fact that many students choose not to take the AP tests. Those teachers that have seniors understand that some colleges might not accept their subject AP, but still feel that it’s like training for a race and then not entering. </p>
<p>In the students defense, all of them will still have to take a final or do a project for a end of year grade in place of a final. The seniors, by this point, know just what their schools accept and are the ones least likely to take the tests, especially if they will be majoring in that subject in college and want to do the colleges version. </p>
<p>I think that most students would be willing to take the AP test if they didn’t have to take a final as well, but due to the timing of the AP’s, there is still weeks left of school after they are done so without a final, how do the teachers meaningfully fill that time? Graduation here is June 17th.</p>
<p>In our school, many kids choose not to take the AP Test because, as you said the school they will be attending won’t accept the credit or will only give credit for a score of 5 which they don’t feel confident of getting. If the subject is in the chosen major, it makes sense to a lot of the kids to actually take the base class at the school where they will be studying so that they are sure the material covered is appropriate for the next level class. Since we are in the north and forced to take the test on a really short schedule much of the material is glossed over. Also, the kids have to pay 78 for each test that they are going to take. If they aren’t getting credit for it, then they are not motivated to pay a fee for the privilege of taking a test that they likely will get no benefit from. </p>
<p>Once the AP tests are done, a lot of the teachers do bigger projects which are more practical and fun. In Physics for example, they build a Rube Goldberg machine as a project.</p>
<p>At our school, you are obligated to take the AP exam. In fact, before signing up for an AP class, parent and student sign a form acknowledging that there is an AP exam fee. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, after the AP exams, very little is done. In AP classes, there are no finals, so technically she is done with those classes. Currently they are watching movies - Ben Hur in AP Latin class; North and South in AP Gov’t. Not sure what she is doing in AP Physics and AP English.</p>
<p>Next week is the last week - Senior Finals. Graduation here is June 4th, so not as long to do nothing as some schools.</p>
<p>ln our district, the AP classes actually end before the AP exam. The kids take AP classes for three quarters and then have a quarter to do an elective. The exam is taken during one day of that fourth quarter class.</p>
<p>My son had AP Calc this year and his ‘final exam’ was actually an old AP exam they took that gave them a grade AND practice for the actual AP exam.</p>
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<p>Personal opinion - that’s a shame. I think a kid should be allowed to challenge themselves in an AP class without the pressure of the exam to deal with. </p>
<p>Of course, my view may be colored by the fact that any kid taking an AP class and obtaining a grade of at least a C can indeed earn college credit through our county community college by simply paying $125. CAP credit is what its called (College Advanced Placement), and you do not have to take the AP exam at all to earn the credits. The catch is that they may or may not be transferable or accepted by other schools; the guidance counselors encourage taking the AP exam to give a broader reach for the credit.</p>
<p>I have no problem with AP exams being optional. To me, the whole point of taking AP (or IB) classes is to challenge the student and expose them to college level work. Any credits earned are just nice extras.</p>
<p>DS#1 took 3 AP classes/exams and earned 18 hours of college credit - of which he is only used 6 toward his major. DS#2 opted out of the AP Calc exam because he knew he wanted to take Calc I in college, so no point. Altho, he had to take a practice AP exam (after school) and it counted for a test grade. He did feel pretty good when his teacher said he got a score of 5.</p>
<p>In my school students are obligated to take the AP exam. I’m indifferent. I will take the exam if I take the class. AP exams only put pressure on your if you let them. They can’t have negative consequences besides wasting some money.</p>
<p>After the AP exams, we generally get some sort of project (research paper and presentation in APUSH, a few labs in AP Chem). In English we are just continuing on with a couple more novels and a research paper. Last year, after AP World, our teacher covered his specialty and our final was to write an essay.</p>
<p>Seniors graduate just a couple weeks after AP exams. They generally have to do senior projects for their final grades, but that’s consistent with even non-AP classes.</p>
<p>Our school requires students to take the exams. Most students don’t know in February (when the payment is due) where they are attending anyway. Personally I think it keeps students from slacking off. If you already know the exam won’t count at your college, I’m not seeing why it’s such a pressure, don’t study for it. I really hate the month and a half that follows the APs. In biology (mostly taken by juniors) the teacher generally gets the students to do some sort of project afterwards (and also some labs the teacher thinks ought to be part of the AP curriculum but aren’t). But in other courses they mostly watch movies. (Star Wars and playing ping pong on the lab benches occupied most of the post AP time in Physics C.) In AP Econ they take care of the NYS government requirement, and in AP Gov they take care of the NYS econ requirement. (Generally by writing a paper on the subject.)</p>
<p>My oldest son got credit for all his APs which got him out of nearly all the gen ed requirements and into more advanced math and physics. S2 gets five credits max.</p>
<p>Most AP courses don’t have another final exam - they take a lot of practice APs for grades.</p>
<p>In our local HS the AP classes are weighted and if a student does not take the AP exam than he does not get the additional grade weighting. I have no problem with this at all.</p>
<p>My biggest issue is that our schools do not get out until mid June, so we have so much time after the AP exams.</p>
<p>Well, that’s why I posted Fallgirl, I really am looking for how other schools similar to mine deal with the time after AP tests. Our teachers might not mind allowing students that take the AP test to not take a final, but there are WEEKS after the AP’s. They can’t just watch movies for weeks.</p>
<p>Requiring the students to take the AP’s is not going to happen.</p>
<p>Generally our kids have about 4 weeks after the AP tests, 3.5 for seniors. Generally they have one more paper due and a final for the class while the teachers “drift” away from the prescribed curriculum they have during the year…it’s definitely more relaxed. The AP test is not the end of the class for “our kids” but that pressure (the AP test) is definitely off. The test is optional in our system so there is always still an “exam” or “paper” at the end of the class that all must take. Our system seems to be less gung-ho about the actual AP tests than they were 4-5 years ago when my first was going through.</p>
<p>Our school exempts Juniors & Seniors from finals that take the AP test & meet State attendance requirements. They still have books or projects they are required to complete but homework lightened up significantly. Our graduation is first week of June. It’s actually freed up some time for our junior to focus on SAT subject tests and ACT.</p>
<p>School ends in the middle of June for us. Each AP teacher does something different. I can provide a few examples:</p>
<p>AP US History: We’re working on a presentation on a topic we didn’t explore in much depth during the year (e.g. women’s suffrage, transportation). Then we take some time to prepare for the final, which covers all the material of the year.
AP Chemistry: This week, we’re doing “fun” polymer labs, making cool materials (bouncy balls, putty-like stuff etc.) that we can take home with us. Then we’re having a final and lab practicals.
AP Statistics: Project - conducting a experiment where we can use hypothesis tests to determine if we obtain statistically significant results and presenting it to the class.
AP Music Theory: Moving on to the second volume of our textbook (presumably material for a second year or second semester course).</p>
<p>AP teachers are free to give or not give finals, and AP exams are optional, but almost everyone signs up. Even seniors seem to ditch only if they’re not prepared, and our classes do a pretty good job of preparing us.</p>
<p>In our area, “internships” start after AP exams. </p>
<p>Students choose different projects – some actually work without pay in various jobs (and I am going to say up-front IMO that it is a BAD idea to have kids work without pay for for-profit businesses), some job-shadow, some do independent projects.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, please note that if a student has been holding down a job with a local employer, and being paid, they are not allowed to do a project or work for that employer for their internship paid or unpaid. Even though said employer might have an interesting project, and the student-employee might be the only qualified person that could do the project, since they are already in the company. Yes, bitter party of one.</p>
<p>In S’s school anyone taking an AP class must take the exam. The exam counts as the final and exam day is the last day of class for that subject.</p>
<p>Our students have about 3 weeks after APs…
The students are expected to take the AP exams even if the credit won’t apply. Yes, the parents foot the bill.
Attendance to school that week is driven by exams. If a student has an exam they are excused from classes the whole day (morning before exam or afternoon after exam). Students are expected to attend classes on days they don’t take exams.
For Srs with A avg in the classes, the AP IS their final.
All Srs are required to attend AP Lit daily after the Aps are finished
Srs are not required to attend their other AP classes after AP exams.
For any honors or reg classes which have not taken exams yet, attendance is mandatory.
The daily AP Eng Lit class is basically marking time and wasted…
Any Srs without an A avg for the yr in the AP classes have to take a senior final as well…which is closer to the end of the school year.</p>
<p>In this case while there is some down time, its not quite a month.</p>
<p>mamom when you say “the exam counts as a final” what do you mean? Do they use the AP grades (which don’t come out until July) or is it just that they don’t have to take a final provided by the school, so in effect there is no final that is figured into the grade for the course?</p>