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AP courses: How much is too much?
Upperclassmen at my daughter's high school visited freshmen last week to get them psyched about taking Advanced Placement, or college-level, classes.
They touted the advantages, mostly that the freshmen will impress colleges and potentially can get college credit in high school if they do well on the final AP exam. Needless to say, these classes are very challenging, with lots of reading, homework and constant difficult tests.
My daughter, a freshman, already takes one AP class, Human Geography (it's a geography/culture/population patterns class), and wants to take two and possibly three next year. She's a great student, but I think three is too many for a sophomore.
Behind this push is something the schools don't publicize: They get extra money for every kid who passes the final. The Palm Beach County School District expects to collect more than $6 million, or $659 per student who passes, this year. The money goes to teacher bonuses, training and exam fees.
I'm not begrudging teachers their bonuses or schools some extra money, but do we have to pressure the kids this way? I want my daughter to be challenged but not at the expense of her sanity.
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Comments
Who is pressuring the kids? The schools are not forcing kids to take AP classes. It is the competition among students to get accepted to college that drives up the qualifications necessary. You don't have to take AP classes, but there are plenty of other students who will take them. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!
Posted by: Jack | March 4, 2009 10:29 AM
While it is true that schools do get money for students who take AP tests, the state this year reduced the amount given to schools. Broward schools estimates we lost $3 million in revenue that we would normally have received for students taking AP and IB classes just this year. AP classes cost more to operate, so the net result is actually more a loss than a benefit to the districts.
More importantly, and this is spoken as a mother of a student who just went through the college admission process, colleges rate applicants on the number of AP classes they take. The higher the amount, the more attractive the student is to the college. Colleges want to know that students who are applying can handle the work load their freshman year. While one can debate whether an AP class is actually equivalent to a college class, there is no question that students with more AP classes on their application are more attractive to colleges.
That said, some parents question whether the stress is worth it. I would advise starting with one AP class, and gradually increasing the amount each year. Having one AP freshman year, 2 sophomore year, 3 junior year and 4 senior year gives a good amount for a college application. This also depends on whether the student is on a block schedule (only 4 classes a semester) or not. It may be more stressful if all the classes taken are AP classes if the student is on a block schedule.
Keep in mind any extra-curricular activities the students participate in so the child doesn't totally stress out. Colleges also look at the quality of the extra-curricular activities, so leaving no time for leadership positions in clubs will offset the benefit of having a lot of AP classes.
Posted by: Stephanie Kraft | March 4, 2009 6:24 PM