The Washington Post reports that Fairfax County Public Schools is not only no longer charging high school students taking AP courses for the exam fee, it is considering refunding fees collected from students earlier this year. This is in the wake of Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli's opinion that schools cannot charge for the course if grade weighting results.
The Post further reports that "Officials in Loudoun County - where students sacrifice one point on their grade point averages if they don't take A.P. tests, although the exams are technically not required - are contemplating their own response to Cuccinelli's ruling." Fairfax is a tough precedent to follow during budget time: 2 x $900,000 is a lot to factor into the process; even 1 x $900,000 is. Oh, oh, almost forgot that we've been charging for a year longer than FCPS; it would be problematic if we refund this year's fees because that would raise the issue whether last year's should be coughed up as well.
Maybe LCPS will take this opportunity to reconsider its practice of encouraging every student to take AP classes, especially the ill-prepared.
The problematic growth of AP testing
ReplyDelete"AP classes give a lot to the top students, but pouring money into the program and trying to give every student an AP education is not efficient or effective,” says Sadler."
"Sadler and his fellow researchers agree that the AP program has expanded to reach the point of diminishing returns. As more students are pushed to take the courses, the number of students enrolled in them without sufficient foundational knowledge increases. Unprepared students do not gain more from an AP course than they would from a standard course, and schools promoting the program often end up funding the unnecessary failure of students who are pushed to take courses for which they are not ready."
Too many LCPS students take AP classes. The classes are then watered down to the point that a lot of students get good grades (A's) but are not prepared to pass the AP exams. As for the students not taking the exams, if the student does not take the exam, then it is really not an AP class.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see if LCPS has done an analysis of AP course report card grades vs, AP Exam scores and see what its conclusions are.
ReplyDeleteJay Mathews doesn't care about AP scores or grades in classes only number of AP tests taken and that is why Loudoun County allows any student to enroll in an AP course regardless of teacher recommendation/ability/skill/work ethic.
ReplyDeleteSo, when will I get my refund? I paid close to an extra $1000 last year just for the extra fees associated with HS(3 APs tests). If only some members of the School Board had the ba!!s to not give Dr Hatrick a blank check for each year's school budget. You were elected by the taxpayers in Loudoun and represent us, not Dr Hatrick. Bob O is the only School Board member I trust by seeing the tough questions he asks and how he votes. Can't wait for next School Board elections.
ReplyDeleteAP classes are not watered down. There are certain things that have to be covered in certain ways..so that the students are prepared to take the test. Maybe there should be some sort of criteria to screen out those students who are not up to the challenge or are ready to take the class and or test.
ReplyDeletean extra $1000 for 3 AP tests, really, we are only charged $82 for each test. What else did you spend money on? I did get a Government book for $21 dollars. Didn't spend any more money than the 3 tests and the book (which I think was recommended for all government classes, not just AP~but I could be mistaken about that)
ReplyDeleteActually, there are families with two kids in high school -- a junior and a senior -- who could be taking 9-10 AP Exams between them = $774 to 860.
ReplyDeleteNot most AP families, but it happens.