The May 16th Newsweek focuses on America’s Best High Schools. Included is a ranking of the best schools based on a simple metric – the number of AP tests taken divided by the number of graduating seniors. The rationale for using the AP is presented in one article. The on-line article lists the top 1000 schools, but there is no search feature so you will have to page through the list to determine if a particular school of interest has been included.
If this issue interests you, make sure to read the author Q&A. The authors discuss their methodology and issues related to AP exams. While interesting, I do not agree with all of the authors’ contentions. One issue I feel able to comment on relates to the position of some colleges in resisting AP course credit. Among the issues raised in addressing this issue is the contention that higher ed institutions may resist partly because of revenue issues. I think this leaves the wrong impression. Passing AP exams (a score of 3) is only equated to a C college grade. If a student is truly serious about a subject area, it would be a mistake to accept passing out of an intro course with what amounts to a C grade. I agree with the sentiment that college bound high school students need to experience some more rigorous high school courses.
I do wonder about the motivation associated with AP exams. The number of students taking AP exams has tripled since 1995. Both of my daughters passed the AP calculus exam. The daughter who received the 5 took no math courses in college. For a student with real talent in this area, I wonder if this would be an outcome those pushing AP courses would want. The university math faculty had no opportunity to sell their discipline to her. Because she regarded math as simply another of the prerequisite areas she had to check off the list, she never gave them a chance. So when critics challenge the value of pushing college experiences down into high schools I am at least willing to listen.
This same article contains some data from a recent large population survey reporting that high school students are studying less than 20 years ago (34% report studying 6 or more hours per week compared to 47% in 1987).
