<p>The value of the AP program should not be measured with a debate about how Exeter students do at Harvard or Stuyvesant do at Penn. </p>
<p>The real measurement should come from the use of AP and IB programs that asre nested within an otherwise mediocre high school, and the way the credits arte used to bypass introductory classes at less competitive colleges and universities. I believe that the combination of AP, IB, and dual credits which allow many students in Texas to finish their freshman year with junior standing at the University of Texas is a both a tragegy and a travesty of what education should be. Not only do we graduate students who are just a small step about being literate from high schools, but also from "leading" universities. </p>
<p>High schools should be high schools, and colleges shoudlo be colleges. All the blurrying between the two do not help the students. Credits are used to hide the fact the students at large schools have problems to graduate in 4 years. High schools are wrapped up in a competition to paint themselves as junior colleges. High schools SHOULD be harder ... a lot harder. This would help colleges avoiding offering a great number of remedial courses in basic english and math classes. The level of AP classes -whatever that is- should represent the regular level of high schools that pretend to be college preparatory.</p>
<p>To add to what NMD is stating, when trying to set up my S's schedule, I talked with the prospective college bio prof. He said he'd met many students who had aced the AP-exam buthad weak analytical skills. I was impressed by his reasoning since introductory biology emphasizes memorization of terminology more than most other science courses.
When older S was applying to colleges, he solicited a rec from his 10th grade Honors Social Studies teacher because 10th grade was the last time he had been required to write long research essays. The AP classes he took focused on writing the type of short essays used on the AP-exam.</p>
<p>Exactly! The college classes I have experienced/heard about all seem to depend heavily on writing PAPERS, not short timed essays. When I was assigned a paper for my college class, I had no idea where to begin; rather than answering a specific question on an excerpt, I had to come up with a topic for one of a range of stories. I wish my AP class had branched out more from the basic testing materials. I feel worse, though, for the people taking college-prep-track English at my high school. Their "College Composition" class is a senior funfest of skits, Spanish vocabulary, "Commas for Dummies" booklets, and the occasional, informal written response.</p>
<p>If AP English is to be truly a college-level class, it needs to be "heavily supplemented with projects and papers," as epiphany puts it above. Simply sticking to the material covered on the test- i.e., being able to interpret literary excepts and explain ONE novel or play- does not prepare students for college classes, and I'm sure this approach applies to other AP subjects as well.</p>
<p>We often hear about how the college experience is primarily about a challenging, enriching and broadening intellectual experience. If that is the truth then I say horray for the AP program whatever its deficiencies may be in some hs districts.</p>
<p>Our DS is on track to graduate with high honors(3.70+), is being inducted into Upsilon Pi Epsilon this semester, and earn his MS in one additional semester of study. Instead of taking Calc 1, he was able to take Graph Theory this semester. AP credits allowed him to take a challenging Symbolic Logic class last semester and advanced HSS electives like Anarchism & Democracy and Wisdom, Love & Character.</p>
<p>The study cited in the OP focuses on minor quibbles about grades. Well the good prof may quibble away but fails to see the bigger picture in my opinion.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, AP courses are nowhere near as thorough as college courses, it really depends on the teacher and the students' motivation to study outside of the class</p>