What are the goals of an AP class?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
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<p>In my school, I argued with the principal to reduce the # of AP classes to increase quality and reduce stress of students.
That way, there could be more 5s and 4s, and the subjects remain in our heads.</p>

<p>But he reasoned that there needs to be an opportunity/choice for students, and he aruged that things need to stayed the way they were (where straight A students in AP classes are prepped minimally for getting a 3).</p>

<p>But isn’t that wrong?? I mean an AP class’s goal to prepare all students to get a 3? Shouldn’t we all aim for 5s? I hate how some topics are being cut off from our courses so we are just geared to get 3s.</p>

<p>I’m not a bookish person. I learn from good teachers and lectures! I don’t like to study on my own to get 5s…</p>

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<p>I see your point, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Many schools push the AP program to offer students more choices in rigorous courses, and for some rather wrong reasons:

  1. By taking an AP course, the students easily surpass the county- or state-curriculum (which is to be expected, since an AP course is more in-depth than the county/state curriculum), meaning they do well on their county exams. These are the only scores that count in the school’s rating or grade, so they couldn’t care less about the AP exam; if every student in a school fails their AP exams but passes the county exams, the school is well on its way to earning an A-grade, which is then attributed to the “success of the principal”.
  2. As a result of the effect of #1, school board superintendents get bonuses and better pay when their county performs well. The students in AP courses ace the county exams, increase the average scores, thus increasing the superintendent’s bonuses.
  3. I’m pretty sure that teachers get bonuses ($50) for each student that scores a 3 or higher on the AP exam. Many of the corrupt teachers do indeed aim for a 3, because that’s all they need to get their bonus.</p>

<p>So as you can see, the entire system is corrupt from the top-down: superintendents, principals, and individual teachers. The school system is more of a political mess than it appears to be. Schools have nothing to lose, and lots of money to gain, by pushing everybody through the AP system. At my school, it’s so bad that if you’re an average student, you’re put in an honors course; if you’re an honors student, you’re shoved into an AP course. You hardly hear of anybody who is in a “regular” course (non-honors/AP) unless they’re mentally deficient.</p>

<p>The only way out of it all is to attend a private school. :slight_smile: I swear, when I’m a parent, I am going to do my best to keep my children as far away from the public school system as possible.</p>

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<p>I disagree. I think that a good school can offer many, many APs and yet still push for 5s. That’s what my school does; we offer a ton, and we get many 5s.</p>

<p>Also,</p>

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<p>It’s the student’s decision on how many APs to take anyway. Reducing the number available won’t help.</p>

4

<p>Its better to self-study, just my two cents. If you want a 5 then go do the extra work. Its not fair that people get turned away because of your opinions. If you don’t like it then you don’t have to take those, “easy” ap classes.</p>