I'll share a couple of interesting items that I have learned in my brief research of Advanced Placement in high schools. One is that the AP classes generally have an AP exam associated with them and the benefit is that with a high enough score, many colleges will grant undergraduate credit (to varying degrees). So now, not only can students increase their likelihood of acceptance by the college of their choice, but they also may be able to begin with some college credit already accumulated.
Sounds great, right? Well, perhaps in the public school setting, but what about private schools? It seems that there is a trend starting among some private schools to do away with AP courses. One explanation for this phenomenon given by a private school administrator in an article in the UCLA school newspaper was that there are some concerns that even AP curriculum does not reach the depth that many high-achieving students need (or want, as the case may be). The article also points out that many graduate schools will not accept AP credit, so there is fertile ground for debate on the merits of AP to a certain degree. An interesting sidebar is that College Board has had to institute thorough and regular audits of AP courses nationally because, it seems, that some of what is being passed off as AP isn't really! It is amazing how some professionals often will jump on a bandwagon with less than acceptable means!
If I had to concisely encapsulate what I have learned about AP, it would be that if you can offer it and are willing to do it correctly (train motivated teachers, certify the curriculum, and allow only those that are really qualified access), it can be a rewarding situation for many college-bound students. Half-done...well, we get the picture!
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Funny you mention schools doing away with AP, because other schools are going overboard with it!
I have several students this year who are taking five, six, even SEVEN AP courses AT ONCE. It's ridiculous. Sure, it's great to get those weed-out courses out of the way. But they feel so pressured to have AP classes for a better shot at getting into college that they're filling the day with these classes and even taking a zero-hour AP course. They can't breathe. They come in with circles under their eyes after pulling all-nighters at least once a week because it is so much work. And they constantly complain that they have no time to have any fun.
What ever happened to high school being about learning AND about making friends and prom and learning to drive? The pressure to succeed and go above and beyond is killing these students.
The worst part is, half of them probably won't pass the tests at the end of the year. So is it really worth all the trouble?
Not to mention, many colleges won't accept even a passing score on the test because they want students to learn the material at the university, and learn it in depth.
I think the idea behind AP classes is great, and I've taken a few myself when I was in highschool. I'd even love to teach AP Calc. However, people tend to go a little crazy with it sometimes. "All things in moderation..." as my husband would say.
That is, "All things in moderation, including moderation." Completely getting rid of AP and not giving students the choice isn't a good solution either.
What needs to happen is students should be educated about the pros and cons of AP. For example, some schools don't accept the credits and it can be very difficult to compete. That way, they can make their own informed decision about whether to take the classes or not.
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