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Deja
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| Joined: | Thu Apr 13th, 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 14th, 2007 02:06 pm |
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"Because we are in school until June 20th a class like AP US History that tests early, May 7th, has 7 weeks of school still after the test is given. This means that students have a "shorter year" before the test because school didn't start until Sept. 5th, and teachers have 6-7 weeks to keep students entertained when they're just not as motivated cause they've already taken the test.
I've heard many movies are watched those last 6-7 weeks-we shall see!"
Well, that's one issue -- how do the AP teachers waste time for those weeks? (I was most impresssed with my older son's Calc teacher who continued on after the AP exam, teaching the next level of material).
The bigger issue to me is the unfairness of the AP testing schedule to certain parts of the country. Schools in TX and FL start in early August, so look how much time those places have to teach the AP curriculum. Contrast that to the schools (Northeast) that don't start until after Labor Day. It's hard to get all the material in (especially the labs).
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binx
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Posted: Wed Mar 14th, 2007 05:07 pm |
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When my oldest was in school, the school system didn't charge anything except a single low fee for administration - they picked up the whole rest of the cost. For S2, and now D, - after budget cuts - they charge the $10 admin fee for the first test and $83 for any additional. D is taking two tests, so we paid $93.
School seems to be trying to balance getting kids to take AP classes along with getting kids to pass the tests. (If kids are pretty sure they're not going to do well, they shun the fee.) So the school district's ultimate results show a fairly large enrollment of AP courses, and a fairly high percentage rate passing.
We parents grumbled when the policy changed. Guess it could have been much worse!
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bc
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| Joined: | Fri Dec 29th, 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 14th, 2007 08:36 pm |
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DesperateDad wrote: Ain't nothing worse than pointing out an "error" to an educator. They can go into defensive mode and act more like the DMV. 
Wow- pretty serious allegation to lay on an entire profession. I'm happy to report that, with very, very few exceptions, the frequent interactions we had with teachers and principals during our kids' K-12 years were quite un-DMV like.
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kdmom
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| Joined: | Sun Jun 4th, 2006 |
| Location: | Washington USA |
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Posted: Fri Mar 16th, 2007 05:13 pm |
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My son's school charges $83 per test. I just wrote out a check for $332 last night! I'm not all that keen on AP tests myself, especially now that colleges are more and more reluctant to grant credit for them.
Until this year, S's high school required that you take the AP exam in order to get an A in the course. (In other words, if your grade was an A but you didn't take the exam, you'd automatically get bumped down to a B.) Other parents pointed out, and I agree, that you shouldn't be penalized just because you don't want to pay $83 for college credit you either can't get or don't need.
For example, S will need a year of lab science to fulfill his college's distribution requirement. He already knows that he wants to take biology in college, so what reason is there for him to pay for the AP Chemistry exam?
The school relented in the face of arguments like this one, and some of the teachers have said that they'll make their own three-hour exams for anyone who doesn't want to take the AP tests. I'm not sure how I feel about creating an extra burden for the teachers, but until the district pays for the exams I guess it's the right thing to do.
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yayamama
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Posted: Sun Mar 18th, 2007 01:33 pm |
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| I wonder... does your son absolutely need to take his AP exams at the school he attends? Doesn't the public school in your area offer the same exams? It would be worth checking into whether he could sit in on the public school exams, as they have to proctor them anyway. Homeschooled students do the same.
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binx
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Posted: Sun Mar 18th, 2007 04:21 pm |
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| Good point. My D took her AP German exam last year at a US military school in Germany - she attended a local German school. And we weren't in anyway associated with the military.
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Thumper
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Posted: Mon Mar 19th, 2007 01:09 am |
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| Our high school charges $83 per test also. BUT every kid who takes an AP course is required to take the AP test in that course. AND the fees have to be paid by Sept 15 for all AP exams. The school must be making some kind of interest off of our money!!!
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toobusytoday
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Posted: Mon Mar 19th, 2007 12:32 pm |
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I was thinking the same thing as yayamama - why not just take them at a local public? But then I remembered that our school administers the AP tests during school time, so it might be logistically tricky and not worth the added stress to find another school and get permission from the students own high school as well as another HS. For our kids, it's not like the SAT's where there are tons of kids. For the AP's at our HS there are only the kids that took the class - probably 20, 25 kids per AP.
The point that was brought up earlier about how some school districts having an advantage due to starting the year earlier is a good one. My SIL's school in Arizona starts in mid-August and they are done by mid May - Perfect for the AP schedule. I hate the last month before the test as the teachers try to cram two months worth of info into the students. Snowstorms and days off for weather can also have an impact with the test so early. Our HS requires the AP teachers to hold a final exam or project in June so the kids don't completely slack off after the AP test.
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jocelynDAD
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Posted: Mon Mar 19th, 2007 12:59 pm |
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The AP test is scored by CB, not by the school or the teacher. These scores (for the spring classes are not issued until July. Seniors will have graduated.
If the school only gives tests to students who do not take the AP test, how do they grade the students who took the AP test?
If it is on class work and quizs, it is grossly unfair to force one group of students to take an extra exam while grading some of their classmates on coursework that the first group took as well.
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Wed Mar 21st, 2007 02:16 pm |
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My DD's public high school in Maryland charges $83 per test but if you're taking more than two in a given year, the school will pay for any tests after the first two ... so she's taking three (luckily scheduled for three consecutive mornings) but only has to pay for two ...
In our case I believe, yes, you have to be taking the AP class to take the test, but then you don't have to take a final exam in the class (and the AP score does not factor into your grade, just taking it is enough) ... instead they just take your two semester grades to factor your final grade. And since they do, what is it called, sliding grade? ... If you get, say, a B one quarter and an A the next, they use the second quarter grade for your final semester grade (so she knows that as long as she gets at least a B in all three classes, she can't possibly get lower than a B as her final -- I mean, unless she gets a D or F).
Re: what they do for the final three weeks before finals? Watch a lot of movies I think ... (her classes are English, Environmental and World History).
I can't remember if she's taking two or three APs next year (I know she's taking English and Psych but can't remember if her history class is AP or not).
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zippy
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| Joined: | Fri Mar 2nd, 2007 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 21st, 2007 05:01 pm |
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I think our school (suburban public 1800 or so students) gets the prize for charging the most, $110 a test! My friend says it is because we never pass any referendums (except, of course, the last three). I think it is because they can, parents are afraid to raise the issue.
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CarolynLawrence
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 21st, 2007 11:39 pm |
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Zippy, yes, you win the  for the most expensive test! Yay! I feel much better about the arm and a leg our school is charging me knowing that someone is being charged an arm and two legs at another school. 
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Consolation
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
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Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 01:31 pm |
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I may be mistaken, but I believe that AP tests are free at our public HS. I don't recall paying anything for the one he took sophomore year, and I don't think we've been billed for the two he'll take this year.
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hummingbird
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Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 04:27 pm |
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| Our kids' school charges $83 per AP test. And unfortunately, they only offer 4 AP classes: Literature, US History, Calculus, and Art. Son is only taking APLit and APUSH, because Math and Art are not his strong suits. He's taking APUSH this year (11th), and Lit is only offered in 12th grade. Yep, pickings are slim!
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
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Posted: Wed May 2nd, 2007 05:49 am |
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$83.00 here, too, but the fee is waved if you can't afford it.
I figure it is a heck of a bargain if any of them allow DD to take something more interesting or get credit for the class. When my oldest was applying you needed a score of 3 on most tests to get credit. I noticed with #3 (5 years later) that you must have at least a 4 and in some cases a 5. Hmm.
Last edited on Wed May 2nd, 2007 05:50 am by outwest
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limner
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| Joined: | Sun Jul 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tennessee USA |
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Posted: Wed May 2nd, 2007 11:39 am |
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Son's public HS charges $83 a test. Like kdmom, I wrote a check for $332 (ouch!). The money was due on Mar 28, before we knew where he'd gotten in. If we'd known whether he'd gotten into his first choice, with no core curriculum, he wouldn't have taken the Calc test. Since he didn't get in there, it's moot.
And our schools start in mid-August and are out by the last week in May--usually a topic for complaint but not in this instance.
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Wstrdg
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Posted: Thu May 3rd, 2007 03:56 am |
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Last edited on Thu Jul 12th, 2007 07:21 pm by Wstrdg
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Consolation
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Posted: Wed Nov 21st, 2007 07:24 pm |
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Consolation wrote: I may be mistaken, but I believe that AP tests are free at our public HS. I don't recall paying anything for the one he took sophomore year, and I don't think we've been billed for the two he'll take this year.
An update on this: we were just recently informed that he was supposed to sign up for his end-of-year APs NOW, and that moreover we have to pay $84 or $85 for each of them.
Since he is planning on taking 5 in May, we are supposed to write a check for $420 or so. I don't know if this represents a change in policy, or just blissful ignorance on my part earlier.
The G/T coordinator, who takes care of such stuff, informs us that this appears to be a record. Since it is unlikely that he will actually use any of these for credit, it is a record I would just as soon not set!
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Chedva
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Posted: Wed Nov 21st, 2007 07:34 pm |
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That's the normal scenario at my d's school. There are many kids who take 5 AP tests; some take more. My d took 3.
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Consolation
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Posted: Wed Nov 21st, 2007 07:49 pm |
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Chedva wrote: That's the normal scenario at my d's school. There are many kids who take 5 AP tests; some take more. My d took 3.
Hypothetically, my S could choose to take one or both of the English AP exams also, although our school has an "AP thread" of English courses instead of specific yearlong AP courses. But I'm glad he isn't planning to, at this point.
To clarify, I think the "record" she was referring to was 5 at once, rather than 5 overall. Frankly, it surprised me: I would have thought that several kids in each class took that many senior year.
I think our school is pushing to have more kids take science and math APs: they've reorganized the science/math curriculum to do so. They are also working towards adding IB in the next two years or so. I have no idea what effect that will have on the AP push...
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