<p>My son took the AP Music Theory exam at another school b/c his school only offered a 1 semester music theory course, not the AP. You can get books for any course and the AP college board website gives sample test questions. The class will never show up on your high school transcript, however, but the point is to learn what you are interested in and get AP college credit.</p>
<p>I agree with your original question, however; it's not fair to limit to the top 10% b/c of varying interests. Art Portfolio & Art History, Music Theory, students good in a language but not the top 10% of the class overall can't take APs in their area? At my kids' HS most of the AP's have summer reading/essay work, which weeds out the slackers pretty quickly.</p>
<p>The guy who gets alot of attention for his yearly assessment of the 100 top high schools in the country wrote a book about just this problem. His target high school was Mamaroneck which is right near Connecticut. He rates high schools on the number of AP classes taken divided by the number of kids in the school. He thinks it is very unfair to keep kids out who could succeed at the classes. It's often the blue collar kids who are kept out. When we were shopping for a school district, I specifically asked about this and the district we moved to said that they adjust the number of classes for the number of qualified kids - so if 50% of the kids get an A or B (I think) the year before in the subject, they will have more AP classes. Also, I've heard that the district cannot keep you out of an honors or AP class if you feel like challenging it legally.</p>
<p>I think that, to some extent, screening does improve the quality of the overall class. One thing that I love about AP classes is the fast pace, plus the fact that I'm there with other kids who are motivated, want to learn, and can handle the assignments we're given. </p>
<p>Taking the top ten percent of the class overall doesn't seem like a good way of dividing people, but having tests, teacher recommendations, etc does make sense to me, as a former AP student. That said, I think that some schools may go to unfair extremes. I thought that the overall system for kids to get into AP classes at my school was pretty fair in a lot of cases, although it could be exclusive at times....but frankly, the kids who are really motivated can do the tests on their own if they want to take them badly enough. Good scores on tests taken your junior or sophomore year for which you self-studied should convince the school that you can take some APs the next year, anyway. Plus I'm sure that looks great to colleges. </p>
<p>The kids who want to do it and apply themselves can do it whether they're in a class or not. It takes a lot of motivation, but it's hardly impossible.</p>
<p>Brookline High School found that when AP classes were open to interested students regardless of academic background, those students rose to the challenge and worked hard to succeed. All AP classes are open and restricted only by class size. There may be some exceptions, e.g., where a student who wants to move from honors to AP math may be asked to either attend a summer school class to make up past material not covered in the honors class or to rethink switching.</p>
<p>I am not a believer in quotas -- whether that's a percentage cap of the class or a quantity cap applied universally. However, I do believe in 3 things:</p>
<p>(1) demonstrated ability for that AP, as evidenced by quality of freshman & sophomore work</p>
<p>(2) curriculum preparation where appropriate. This one is where high schools often fail, i.m.o. (a) They fail to provide Honors classes in subject areas where Honors as the intermediate step is indicated; (b) They fail to provide introductory courses where indicated (Pre-calc prior to AP Calc, etc.)</p>
<p>(3) individualized guidance (academic advisors). Bright, straight A students with pronounced Learning Differences often are not appropriate candidates for AP. Partly this is a factor of time management challenges, & the anxiety of one less month in which to complete work. Partly it is a matter of the volume of memorization required for some courses, which can be an unusual challenge for those with processing problems. Many such students want to take AP's both to keep up with peers & because they're intellectually capable of content challenge. But most high schools do not provide enough counsel for such students, resulting in too many bad choices.</p>
<p>At my school (which honestly isn't one of these STAR, AWESOME, OMG schools) we have to write an essay that is graded on the AP scale, our grades are looked at, they look at our SAT/PSAT/ACT scores, and we have to have a teacher recommendation.</p>
<p>It's just like applying to college only it's some stupid AP class.</p>
<p>They may restrict AP classes as they see suitable, but if you are not in the Top 10%? Cmon, thats preposterous. Sue. </p>
<p>I am in the Top 20, and my school policy only allows students to take 4 APs max a year. However, after getting back from Harvard and taking 7 AP exams the year before (and passing them with 5s and 4s) they let me take 6 (including French Lang, which requires teacher approval). </p>
<p>I think you need to press on to let them let you take a bunch of APs. Just insist on it and seem sincere and if they still dont budge, sue.</p>
<p>Top 10% percent may be pushing it a little, but I kinda wish they did something similar to this at my school. Here, ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE can get into any AP class (Except for AP Calc BC, you need a 700+ on the SATs to get into to that one) as long as they have a parent signature. So that results in many kids who are not at that level in the classes because all the parents want their kids in the top classes at school.</p>
<p>Wow! My school's too small for them to even think of enforcing such a rule.</p>
<p>(Top 10% of students ends at #10 for students ranked for AP classes; "regular" rank ends at #12/13, all students included)</p>
<p>Our top math students don't really rank near the top, but they still get to take AP Calc! You need at least an A- math cumulative average to join AP Calc, whereas you need at least a B- humanities cumulative average (for AP Calc). :) </p>
<p>The only restrictions they put on APs are that you can only take 2/year, beginning your junior year, that you can't take three humanities in one year, and that your teacher must recommend you. It's not that bad, really... </p>
<p>The system they used in Farfield County, however, seems a bit unfair. It actually also depends on the number of students in your grade. If there are around 1000, then it's not that unfair. I'm not a teacher, and am not on the administrative staff, do I really... don't know what else to tell you!</p>
<p>Less than ten AP classes are offered at my school, with room for around 20-25 students each, so competition to get into them is a bit fierce. Some classes are at the same time, so if that poses any problem, you HAVE to choose between the two. You can't self-study, because they don't want to have to order extra tests, so it's not that great... haha..</p>
<p>At my old high school, you had to take an essay test and be recommended by past teachers in order to get into certain AP classes. For AP US and AP English, about 50% of those who apply are accepted.</p>
<p>I liked it that way. One of the benefits of taking AP classes is that you're with other somewhat intelligent students who have interest AND competency in that subject. If everyone and their dog was allowed to take them, it'd be just like taking any other level of class, and you'd have the not-quite-as-bright-ones slowing the rest of the class down.</p>
<p>I went to Danbury High in Fairfield.... Just about anyone could try to get into an AP class (most would be accepted). some of hte more popular classes though were more picky and then the teacher would decide who he/she'd let in. One thing is that we were all required to take the AP exam. </p>
<p>And wow... lots of Fairfield people here. (lol, at college it's the same way, lots of fairfield folks at williams)</p>
<p>I HATE strict rules for moving to more advanced. I am stuck in Trig right now (as a senior) and it's pretty much a study hall for me because I get it so easily. I can't even get into Honors Trig because the math department at my school is just not flexible. I even offered to get a tutor or take some classes at a community college during the summer to move up... nope, I'm stuck.</p>
<p>Luckily was able to move up from regular English to AP...
Moved to AP track in Social Studies..
Not looking to move up to AP track in Science....
Can't move up in Spanish (but that's understandable with the way foreign language is run at my school).</p>
<p>The only inflexible department in my school in terms of classes is math. Which is just ridiculous. Let me take the classes I want. There's a drop line for all AP classes at my school (C+); THAT should weed out people who don't belong in the class... but if people want to try, they shouldn't be prohibited.</p>
<p>at my school we do not have any restrictions on who can take ap or other college level courses. although students are generally recommendaded for the next course to take, with just a parent phone call or meeting iwth the guidance counselor they can be bumped up and placed in the ap course. as a result, ap classes are large and are filled with many students who do not plan to take the test or do well on the test, completing hte course just to look like they are challenging themselves in school. i think that there should be come sort of requirement for ap classes so that the students who are truly able to learn on a college level are able to do so with other students of the same ability.</p>
<p>haha im from new fairfield...</p>
<p>APs were originally meant to provide a very specific group of students with college-level courses in the high school setting. They were NOT meant to provide everyone with the opportunity to save money or to boost their gpa.</p>
<p>I think everyone can agree that there's definitely a need to maintain a certain level of academic rigor in the AP classroom. Because it's still a high school setting, teachers, unlike college professors are still expected make sure the kids are learning what they are supposed to be learning. The idea of imposing restrictions (in general; there are a lot of flaws with the top 10% rule - i think grades in prerequisite courses seems a better measure of potential) on students is preemptive. If a student is failing the class halfway through the semester, he/she has already (1) missed out on what he could have learned during that time and (2) held back the rest of the class, if only for a day or two (when preparing for the AP, that certainly counts). There's another major problem, also with holding back the class; public schools for the most part aren't allowed to require students to take the AP at the end of the course. That means that if a significant number of "less qualified" students take the class, the teacher can lower the academic standard while still having the nationally recognized AP label on the course. If students don't take the exam, there's no way to measure the level of the course (granted that's true regardless - there are too many discreapancies between high schools- but the only way for public schools to counteract it is to level their classes according to previous academic success).
Not only that,but placing restrictions reduces the incentive for kids to take AP classes solely for boosting their gpas after having slacked off during previous years. That's obviously not the purpose.</p>
<p>Speaking as a student who has to deal with constant idiocy in AP courses - I would ADORE the top 10% rule. It sounds so much more efficient.
That said, I think exceptions should be allowed on an individual basis - ie, if the kid has the iniative to specially request an AP course at the counselor's office or whatever and is not SO far behind in regards to grades, it shouldn't be a big deal, so long as he doesn't slow down the rest of the class.</p>
<p>Well we just got report cards and i got 3 A's and 3 A-'s in level 8. (at my school it goes 2's 5's 8's then AP) So when January comes around I'm for sure going to use my grades as proof that I can handle Ap classes.</p>
<p>It's all about politics, they want to keep the average AP score high so they can brag about it in their school profiles. I wanted to take 5 APs my junior year but my counselor only allowed 3, while other counselors were arbitarily allowed to assign their students 4 or 5. Then senior year, my high school capped the number of AP classes to 4 per year, so I had to self-study AP Economics. I got 5's on all 5 AP exams, so I could have handled plenty more with no problem, but I guess the school didn't agree.</p>
<p>those restrictions are ridiculous? How do they expect students to get into the top 10% if they are never allowed to take AP classes?</p>