Are AP courses worth it?

There is a new study from Stanford University that states the AP program isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Personally, I've always been ambivalent about the AP program.  While I believe there is some value in an advanced placement class, I have also wondered if it really improves a student's readiness for college. Since all colleges do not treat AP scores the same, I'm not even sure they believe in the value of the courses any more. In fact, the University of North Carolina recently did its own research and found that "taking more than five AP courses probably doesn't prepare students any better for college."

My solution would probably fall somewhere in the middle.  Let students take a few AP classes if they choose, but limit the number they can take each year. It won't hurt them in the college admissions process, and it would allow students to explore some of those other classes that have always piqued their interest.  Who knows? They might also find the time to become more involved in their activities, and they might find more time to just be a teenager.  I want students to have a more balanced life, but that's just my opinion.

APs and SATs

I must admit that sometimes I wish there was no such thing as Advanced Placement.  While I understand the potential value of the program, I think it often limits what a high school teacher can do.  When there is a curriculum that must be covered, it prohibits a teacher and/or student from stopping on a topic of interest and going into depth about that subject (the old argument about the benefit of depth vs. breadth).  So I don't agree with everything this author says. I for one am not implying that we are "better than" the AP curriculum. I also don't believe that the AP curriculum is necessarily a stand-in for a national curriculum.  But that is just my (very brief) opinion.  I'd be interested in knowing what other people think.

Many students are unaware that there are colleges and universities that DO NOT require standardized test (SAT, ACT) scores.  Although there are different approaches, these are called "test optional" schools.  Bowdoin, Wake Forest, Middlebury, Connecticut College, DePaul, Denison, Dickinson, Rollins, George Mason, and Montana State are just a few of the schools that have some sort of test optional admissions.  You can see a complete list at www.fairtest.org/university/optional.  There are however, some differences in their approach, as this article explains, so be sure to read the fine print!

No More AP Credits at Dartmouth

Dartmouth College has decided not to give college credit for AP exams any more.  Although the college still believes that the courses are useful in preparing students for college level work, after years of discussion, they decided that they really aren't the same as a college level course.  In recent years, some schools have tightened up the criteria for receiving credit, only accepting 4's or 5's on the AP exams.  It will be interesting to see if other schools begin to follow suit.

New AP Courses on the Horizon

Have you ever wondered which AP courses were the most popular and which ones are seeing the most growth?  Here are two great articles that will answer those questions and provide some information about new courses (designed to foster independent research skills) that are in development.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/02/22/21ap-popularity.h31.html

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/03/the_college_board_has_just.html