Interesting read in today's NY Times: High schools that offer "honors" classes don't always provide students with a rigorous curriculum. On the other hand, in schools where official Advanced Placement courses are offered, the number of students who did not pass the AP exams jumped from 36.4 to 42.5 percent in ten years.
Why the significant increase? For one, more schools are encouraging "average" students to take these rigorous courses. In return, many students receive a "bump" that inflates their overall GPA. AP is reaching more minority students in urban settings, too, and many of these students take the exams at a reduced fee or at no cost. As a result, they're taking a more challenging class, but succeeding on the exams at the rate of students who've taken pre-AP courses.
The College Board addressed the problem of bogus AP courses a few years ago when they required every school to submit syllabi for approval by a committee of college instructors. This eliminated classes like "AP English 9" and "AP Band" and "AP California History" (actual bogus courses) while giving the seal of approval to teachers who've prepared a demanding class.
Unfortunately, many AP teachers have come to realize that students aren't always in the classroom for the rigor. Students use the GPA bump to move into the top ten of their graduating class, but don't take the AP exam. Others want the AP designation for the college application process.
Any AP teacher worth his or her salt will tell you that taking the exam is the ultimate goal of the class. For this AP teacher, hearing former students admit that what they take during their freshman year of college is "nothing compared to what (I) put (them) through" in AP is the ultimate compliment.
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