Expanding access in advanced placement classes so more North Jersey kids can excel - NorthJersey.com2/4/13
NorthJersey.com

Educators have pored over the merits of opening up Advanced Placement classes to all high school students versus limiting the college-level courses to those with a track record of academic excellence.

At the heart of the debate is the issue of equitable access compared with students’ actual preparedness to take on the challenge.

Bergenfield High School decided to roll the dice in 2006 when it opened up the AP program to all students. That year, the district had just six AP classes, with students scoring an average 1.7 on the exams, Superintendent Michael Kuchar said. By 2011, its course offerings had tripled, and the average score was 3.3. The College Board, which administers the exams, considers a 3 or higher passing.

Kuchar boasts that Bergenfield, which will be receiving an award from the National School Boards Association this spring for its AP program, is "the prototype for open enrollment." Yet, he acknowledges, the policy is not for everyone.

After switching to open enrollment about two years ago, Fort Lee High School dropped in a statewide ranking, in part because ill-prepared students were attempting — and failing — to pass AP exams. Now there’s community pressure to reinstate requirements such as teacher recommendations and passing prerequisite courses.

"We have noticed a decline in our average AP score," said Sharon Amato, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. "It was determined … that we should look at a fair, but more rigorous, way to gain entry" into the AP program.

Ninth-grader Elijah Smith, who’s not on the honors track, said students who haven’t applied themselves academically in the past may find their niche in an AP class because of the challenging curriculum.

"Some students [are bright] but they don’t try because they’re bored," he said.

Junior Michelle Kim, 16, who is taking two AP classes, welcomes non-honors students into the program if they are willing to put in the work. She said they should not be written off for low grades in their early years.

"Does that mean for their whole high school life they can’t take AP because they screwed up once?" she said.

Views: 997

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Each district should look to increase enrollment in their A.P. courses. That said, I do believe one criterion that should be kept in high regard is a history of good attendance, 95% or better. I am sure professionals in each district could come together and create a more forgiving criteria than traditionally put in place in an effort to expose more students to the rigorous curriculum and pacing of an A.P. course. Districts must realize that more than A.P. students are going to go to college and that exposing our students to the challenges of an A.P. course while in high school will better prepare them for the challenges of a college curriculum, and perhaps help some get through that challenging first year of college.

Well, there's the data we so often crave. I live in Great Neck, New York. Our district consistently ranks high in AP accomplishments. Are these tests for everyone? Simple put, no. I teach in a Queens, NY high school. We offer no AP classes. Should we just begin teaching them and open them up to all who might think "it would be fun" to try and take an AP class? Obviously not. The other component (aside from the student population) is the quality of teachers. Not everyone who is certified to teach chemistry would be qualified to teach AP chemistry. It is that simple. Do students who have a more qualified teacher stand a better chance of passing an AP course. I don't know, but if Jaime Escalante (of "Stand and Deliver" fame) were still alive, he would be the man to ask.

RSS

FOLLOW SL 2.0

JOIN SL 2.0

SUBSCRIBE TO

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 2.0

School Leadership 2.0 is the premier virtual learning community for school leaders from around the globe.  Our community is a subscription based paid service ($19.95/year or only $1.99 per month for a trial membership)  which will provide school leaders with outstanding resources. Learn more about membership to this service by clicking one our links below.

 

Click HERE to subscribe as an individual.

 

Click HERE to learn about group membership (i.e. association, leadership teams)

__________________

CREATE AN EMPLOYER PROFILE AND GET JOB ALERTS AT 

SCHOOLLEADERSHIPJOBS.COM

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 2.0 EVENTS

School Leadership 2.0

© 2024   Created by William Brennan and Michael Keany   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service