AP students at IHS are all too familiar with a routine that takes place in AP classes on the first day of school—many teachers begin their classes by disclaiming the large amounts of homework, the high levels of difficulty, and the low AP pass rates on the tests that they teach towards. Others present the abnormally high pass rates for students in their classes, ensuring students that they are in good hands. While both of these scenarios seem honest and forthcoming, they are in fact part of a worrisome trend at IHS—that not enough students are being encouraged to take AP classes, and that the unnecessarily high standards in these classes may drive away students who want to participate in them.
The extent to which IHS AP test takers outperform national averages is astounding. Over a third of all IHS AP test takers receive the highest possible score of 5, meaning that they are designated by the CollegeBoard as “extremely well qualified” to take their exams. IHS’s mean score of 3.91 also far surpasses the national averages on the tests for every AP class offered at IHS, indicating that IHS students are much better prepared to take their AP exams than most students around the country. This is seen as a point of pride for administrators in the school and district, showing a high level of rigor in AP classes, and a high level of proficiency among students who take them. However, these impressive statistics may show something very different—IHS’s unusually high scores, coupled with relatively low rates of participation in AP classes, show that obstacles to taking AP classes are a real problem; students of all backgrounds do not have the opportunities or support systems in place to take AP classes.
There are trends that can partly account for the relatively low national average—in some districts, all students in a grade level will take an AP exam as a test of proficiency, and some school districts receive increased funding if a certain percentage of students take AP exams. Nonetheless, the low national averages on AP exams are much better explained by the design of the tests—AP courses consist of college-level material, and the exams are intended to be difficult and representative of a college experience. Universities around the country recognize this design, and most accept scores of 3 or higher in place of college credits. These universities, and the CollegeBoard, believe that the goal of AP courses is not only to teach students high-level material, but to prepare them for the skills and work ethic needed in college. An attitude adjustment is needed at IHS, so that students feel more comfortable challenging themselves and being satisfied with a lower score while gaining a valuable college-difficulty experience while still in high school.
Given that scores of 3 or higher are regarded by the CollegeBoard, and by most universities, as a passing score, the extremely high mean scores at IHS may be an indication that the rigor in some AP classes is much more than what is expected. By making the course content and home work load greater than necessary, many AP courses at IHS may dissuade students who are taking their first AP class. The unnecessarily large workload also makes the experience unpleasant for students who decide to take a risk to gain enrichment, which may dissuade them from doing so in the future. In order to solve both of these problems, classes should strive to appeal to more students by streamlining the workload and only assigning what is necessary to be prepared for the test.
Another reason why students are less willing to challenge themselves is because of tracking in regents-tested classes at IHS. As an example, students who start off with AP World History in 9th grade are encouraged to take AP European History in 10th, and who take European History are encouraged to take AP US History in 11th. In contrast, these options are not advertised as strongly in Global History classes, taught at a regents or honors level. Rather than scaring students with the amount of homework and the difficulty of the classes when presenting these course offerings, part of changing the culture surrounding AP exams is making clear at the outset that feeling challenged is an acceptable and common outcome. The enrichment gained from these courses is the end goal, and they should be advertised as learning opportunities and not as gruelling experiences.
In a district that prioritizes equity and inclusiveness, advanced classes must be more accessible to students of all academic backgrounds. AP classes don’t need to be as difficult as they are at IHS, and streamlining curricula in some classes, as well as changing the attitude towards AP classes throughout IHS, could be crucial in providing educational opportunities to children of all backgrounds.