Comments on: AP as academic shock treatment

By: Lightly Seasoned

Lightly Seasoned — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:09:49 +0000

Oh, absolutely, thaprof. All those fluff AP courses were supposed to be eliminated by the syllabus process, but there are still teachers out there with a new syllabus teaching the same old stuff — it only shows when and if the kids take the exams (in our building, one department has a couple of AP classes but discourages the kids from taking the tests because so few pass — it pisses the kids off).

Jay Mathews rates schools by courses offered, not exams passed. I think that’s an oversight.

It is more than possible to have a challenging course without slapping the AP designation on it.

By: thaprof

thaprof — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:32:15 +0000

We are getting increasing numbers of students who have 4-6 “AP” courses on their high school transcripts with A or B grades, but nothing but 1s and 2s on the actual exams. Without exception in my experience, the low actual exam scores reflect their real knowledge.

By: Lightly Seasoned

Lightly Seasoned — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:04:59 +0000

Hmm. Actually, English Langauge isn’t really an easy test. Pulling a 3 (the equivalent of a C in freshman comp) without any prep is fairly exceptional, and I wouldn’t extrapolate the experience too far. There’s actually some content knowledge required (although not like chem or calc, etc.).

By: momof4

momof4 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:07:05 +0000

The amount of necessary background knowledge/preparation varies according to each subject. English language is an easy pass for those with good writing skills; to the point that one of my kids passed the exam as a sophomore, without taking the course and without studying in advance. Most of the other classes they took required a significant amount of subject-specific knowledge. Trying to teach real AP Euro content to a class that includes those who can’t differentiate between the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution or is likely to hurt the kids at the top, as is trying to teach AP Chem to kids who don’t have the math/science background.

By: michael mazenko

michael mazenko — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:25:15 +0000

We have an open policy at my school, and as you can imagine, it’s a mixed bag. Even with it open to all, our departments have “pass” rates of 90%+, and we offer as many AP courses as any school.

Clearly, there is validity to the idea that “the best education for the best is the best education for all” and “a rising tide lifts all boats.” However, there is also validity to the idea that course rigor is diluted by a shallower talent pool, and some classes can’t move as far or as fast if not everyone is capable.

Additionally, there is the idea that not all kids should go to college – and clearly not all should go for bachelor degrees. Yet, if exposure to an AP course – especially Lang which preps for college-level writing – helps some kids find a clue about what their future prospects are, it’s probably a good thing.

By: gbl3rd

gbl3rd — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:53:49 +0000

(Administrators) have tried raising achievement slowly with remedial education. It didn’t work, in part because the teachers and students had no worthy goal to shoot for.

I think there is merit in making people strive hard to achieve, but when did competence become an unworthy goal?

A new Texas study shows graduates “who got a failing grade of 2 on the 5-point AP test — did significantly better in college than did similarly low- performing, low-income students who did not take AP,” Mathews writes.

To me, this sounds like an en indictment of the ordinary instruction and not an endorsement of AP instruction.