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|  | Excerpts from the AP Biology Teachers' Discussion Group
Question: "What about the student who takes the AP Exam after the first level biology course (10th grade), gets a 4 or 5, and never takes the AP Biology course? Does the student receive college credit for this? Should he or she? Does that imply the AP Biology course is really a test prep course? Should AP Biology become a tenth grade course in place of the tenth grade course?"
Answer 1: "I think this implies that the student is really bright and has learned a lot of biology. That is what the test is designed to find out. And the course is designed to maximize the amount of biology learned. We had a student once take our department's in-house placement test, essentially one of my final exams, who had never taken a biology class even in high school. He said he had taught it to himself. I chuckled as I gave him permission to take the test. He made a 97 (and there was no way of cheating). Was I ever surprised! That doesn't invalidate any course, it just validates that student. We give credit based on the test score no matter how the student learned the material!"
-- Jean DeSaix, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 3/9/99
Answer 2: "Most regular biology classes do not provide enough depth to pass the AP Exam. However, if a student really put the time in and was willing to go way beyond the regular text and labs, it would be possible to pass the AP Exam. A few years ago, one of my students did this, but only with hours and hours of extra work at home, with help from his dad. He earned a 5, in fact. I would hate to think that the AP class is just an exam prep experience. It is true that that could happen, but without any appreciation for the subject, it becomes an almost meaningless exercise."
-- Margie Weitkamp, James Monroe High School, North Hills, California. 3/10/99
Answer 3: "My most successful students the last seven years have been sophomores who've taken my Bio 1 class as freshmen, and taken AP the following year as sophomores. Many have received 4 or 5 on the test. I feel this is due to the consistency of having me for two consecutive years, plus not taking chemistry after intro biology. I teach chemistry later in the year for those sophomores who are taking AP Biology and Chemistry concurrently. When we hit biochemistry and molecular biology just before the AP Exam, they are well founded in the chemistry basics and seldom have problems on the test. My sophomores have been the best students, competing quite well with the older students in class."
-- Dale Morejon, Gilroy High School, Gilroy, California. 3/31/99
Answer 4: "Impossible! Sophomores do not have the maturity to handle a college-level course, with the amount of independent research and study that is required. I have been teaching sophomores for 20 years! Also, AP students need to have had a background in the core concepts of biology before they can be expected to grasp college level material. They also need to have had chemistry. Would you teach chemistry to freshmen? I taught a conceptual physical science to freshmen years ago. I loved it, but the majority of the students just didn't get it. A small group (upper-level kids who had developed higher level thinking skills) did well, but it wasn't for the average kid."
-- Cindy Botsford, Westwood Jr-Sr High School, Westwood, New Jersey. 10/10/99
Answer 5: "To those of you concerned about sophomores taking AP Biology: I taught AP Biology on Long Island several years ago. Ninth grade honors biology students had the option of taking AP Biology in tenth grade. They were very successful. The New York State Regents curriculum at the time was a watered down version of AP Biology. That probably helped; the fact that they did not have a year or two off from biology meant they remembered most of their general biology info. We also met seven blocks a week -- both in general and AP Biology. New York is in the process of rewriting its Regents curriculum. It will be interesting to see if it has an impact on AP results."
-- Heda O'Brien, The Bullis School, Potomac, Maryland. 2/23/00
Question: "Does your school allow students to be exempt from final exams if they take the AP Exam?"
Answer 1: "Our AP students are exempted from finals in their AP classes across the board. In fact, they don't even have to attend classes after the test -- a luxury we can get away with that's not possible in many places."
-- Israel Solon, Greenhill School, Dallas, Texas. 5/6/99
Answer 2: "Yes, at our school, all students who take an AP Exam are exempt from the final in that class (as long as they meet a few other criteria, such as not having any outstanding fees and fines, and so on)."
-- Robert Dennison, Jersey Village High School Houston, Texas. 5/6/99
Answer 3: "All of my students are exempt from a final exam if they take the AP Exam, and they all take the AP Exam."
-- Charlotte Freeman, Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Tennessee. 5/6/99
Answer 4: "Since I always make my students take two previously published AP Exams in the weeks prior to the exam, as practice for the 'real thing,' I take their 'best' score and scale it according to the AP scale for the year the test was given. These are found in the College Board® booklet. I adjust the score to a 100 percent scale -- a 5 equals an A, and count that grade as their final exam grade. Everyone is treated equally, regardless of whether they choose to take the exam or not."
-- Pam Tidswell, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Mt. Holly, New Jersey. 5/6/99
Answer 5: "Yes, my school adopted the policy that any senior taking an AP Exam is exempt from the final in that subject. It has been that way for a couple of years now and it seems to work even though you do have them for a few days between the AP and finals with very little motivation. Most of them have earned the break!"
-- Mary Jane Davis, Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, New Jersey. 5/6/99
Answer 6: "Because all of our students are required to take the AP Exam, none of them take a teacher-made exam unless they have below a 77 average (our lowest C). Then, they have to take the teacher's exam before the AP Exam. At the end of first semester they must take the AP Exam -- no exemptions are allowed."
-- Bobbie Hinson, Providence Day School, Charlotte, North Carolina. 5/7/99
Answer 7: "The policy at our school is that students enrolled in AP courses take only the AP Exam second semester. They no longer attend the class once they have taken the AP."
-- Andrea Prybylski, Westminster School, Atlanta, Georgia. 5/7/99
Answer 8: "The AP Exam is a final exam, but I would imagine we all make up and enter our grades well before we get their scores. Nevertheless, we probably all have a zillion test/lab/other grades on which to base a grade for the last marking period. It sounds to me like we all agree -- the 'vote' is unanimous -- no additional final exam. We have about four weeks after the AP Exam and during that period we have students present their term paper topic to the class. The discussion that follows each presentation is wonderful -- remember, they have now completed an intense year of training and they know a lot. We also bring in special lecturers (the last few years we have brought in a team involved in doing liver transplants). Right after the exam we relax and watch a 'biology' movie.
All in all, the last few weeks are fun and relaxing in contrast to the intense preparation that occurs just prior to the exam. I always have questioned the lack of uniformity between schools that start and end at their school year at different times. We start in the beginning of September and finish at the end of June. I have a full month after the AP Exam. Other parts of the country that start school in late August and end in early June have an additional few weeks before the exam. In other words, much of the country has about five to 10 percent more time to prepare for the exam."
-- Bob Goodman, Hunter College High School, New York, New York. 5/7/99
Question: "I can't find it in writing anywhere: Can the students use calculators on the AP Biology Exam?"
Answer 1: "The statement about calculators not being allowed is in the AP administration book that you use when you proctor an exam. I know this from proctoring AP Physics and Chemistry Exams over the years and have looked at the instructions for the Biology Exam."
-- Bob Heun, Brooks School, North Andover, Massachusetts. 5/14/99
Answer 2: "On page 14 of the 1999 AP Coordinator's Manual it says: 'Calculators are necessary for the Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Statistics examinations, and are permitted for parts of the Chemistry, Physics B, and Physics C examinations. Calculators are not allowed for any subjects other than those listed here.'"
-- ETS Staff, Princeton, New Jersey. 5/14/99
Question: "What is your district's policy about students taking AP Exams, and do they pay for the tests?"
Answer 1: "Our district has never paid for the exam. Occasionally (not currently) the state has kicked in with part of the fee, but this never seemed to make a difference in how many took the exam. Students are told that they are expected to take the exam, and that the instructor will teach on the assumption that all will. In the end, it is entirely the student's decision; usually about 90 percent do, and those who don't have usually made the right decision. Unfortunately there is no penalty if they do not take the exam. However, simply keeping the course rigorous keeps out most of the fluff. And there are always one or two students with a keen interest in biology but without well-developed academic skills who take the course but who never plan to take the test; I don't mind them, as long as they behave and do the work. In a public high school, we teach all who want to learn, right?"
-- Leslie Haines, Walter Williams High School, Burlington, North Carolina. 9/25/99
Answer 2: "We require all students to take it. One hundred percent of our girls are college bound and we give a GPA boost to AP classes and we find the extra effort of preparing for the exam justifies that boost. We are an independent school, so unfortunately the students all pay for their own exams. I wish they were not so expensive -- some of our top girls are taking three, four, and five simultaneously. We also find that having to take the AP exam keeps them on task all the way through May and we avoid the inevitable senior slump. That enhances the class and makes it all the more able to cover the material. The real reward is that after the exam, they are free not to attend those classes anymore and they do not take a regular semester exam. The 'free' days rarely amount to more than two or three since our own exam schedule overlaps the AP Exam schedule most years.
I have never understood why a college bound student would not be expected to take the AP Exam. Even if the college they want to attend does not grant credit, many transfer in the first two years and may find that the new school will grant credit. I have heard (but do not know if it is true) that some schools offer AP Biology just so it will appear on the transcript -- and then just teach whatever they wish. If I were not looking ahead to that exam, my course would be very different from the one I teach now. Not easier, but different emphasis and content."
-- Charlotte Freeman, Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Tennessee. 9/25/99
Answer 3: "You say that the 'downside' of having all of the AP Exams paid for is that everyone taking an AP course is required to take the exam. To the contrary, I look at that as a real benefit. Consider the degree of commitment of all such students, think about the esprit de corps in an AP class that will result from such a ruling. I think it's great!"
-- Barb Beitch, Hamden Hall Country Day School, Hamden, Connecticut. 9/25/99
Answer 4: "Our school is struggling with the question of how to get more kids to take the tests. We are a small (under 1,000) and overall low-socioeconomic student body. A lot of our kids can't afford to pay for multiple tests. We are fortunate that the state has subsidized the cost for students who are eligible for free/reduced lunch. But that doesn't cover every student. The administration is discussing having the students put down $10 when they register and make payments through the year to increase the numbers taking the test. The thought is that if the student does not take the test the class will be listed as 'honors' instead of 'AP' on the transcript. (This is still at the proposal stage.)"
-- Lisa Moore, Duarte High School, Duarte, California. 9/25/99
Answer 5: "Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland, 23 high schools) does not pay for the AP Exam for students. Individual schools may pay for them through PTSA or some other funding if the school thinks it a priority. Just one observation: Some of my best students do not take the test because they have decided to go to specialized programs in colleges (i.e, a seven-year medical program) that won't accept the test. Parents say, '$75 is the cost of a book, and if the test isn't going to count....' As the parent of two college students, I have a hard time arguing with that."
-- Lesli Adler, TS Wootton HS, Rockville, Maryland. 9/26/99
Answer 6: "The University of California system looks more highly upon a student that takes the test and makes a '2' or above than a student that just sits through the course. At my school, we highly suggest they take the test. We have an AP Club where students raise money to offset the cost of the exam. In several AP Courses (AP Chemistry, AP Government, and AP Biology, to list a few), students who wish not to take the test will take a Study Guide-type AP Exam. They receive a grade and we will use it for the AP Exam grade that we give each student in class. Students who take the real AP Exam will receive a '5' for their school AP Exam grade while those who do not will receive a 2 or 3 for the school AP exam. Is it unfair? The purpose of the AP Course is to take the exam and score well enough to get out of some college courses, even though some colleges do not accept the 3-5 score."
-- Tony Poletti, Santiago High School, Corona, California. 9/27/99
Answer 7: "I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. The students sign a contract in March for the following year. Included in the contract is the statement that they understand that taking the exam is a requirement if they are to have the course listed as AP on their transcript. The price of the exam is included in that contract. Requiring the exam results in a) better esprit de corps in the group, and b) better scores on the exam. I strongly recommend it for those two reasons.
Also, as a corollary, back in the stone age when I started teaching 'Advanced Biology,' it was my students, now graduated and in college, who came back and told me about their peers who had taken the exam and placed out. They told me that they were at least as well prepared in my course and wish that they had taken the exam so that they could avoid the repetitious freshman course."
-- Barbara Beitch, Hamden Hall Country Day School, Hamden, Connecticut. 2/15/00
Question: "... At the post-AP Exam party I attended Wednesday afternoon, several kids said they never intended to use their scores for college credit, so they didn't feel any pressure about the exam (they also didn't have to pay for it). It raises the same old question: What is the value of the exam? And, do we call it AP if they don't take the exam? At our school, few kids attend competitive universities and it makes me wonder about the value of pushing the AP concept at all. They need rigorous coursework, but it seems we can do that without the hype and stress that comes with the AP package. A few workshop facilitators at NABT this year who teach at prestigious private schools on the East Coast said their schools do not offer any AP courses because they pack too much information into too short a time. However, they do have the advantage of offering two years of genetics, microbiology, anatomy, zoology, and other subjects. Guess it all depends on the individual community, and what parents want for their kids. Any thoughts?"
Answer 1: "Regarding the value of the exam: One of last year's graduates who is now attending Syracuse University came back to visit just this past week and was thrilled that he received 13 credits for doing AP courses. I'm sure that there are a lot of us who could tell similar stories of kids who have gone on to receive even more credits. At $75 per course, that's a lot of bang for the buck. The student went on to say that he is now a big proponent of the AP Program. Who could argue with him?"
-- Sue Zendzian, South High, Worcester, Massachusetts. 5/19/01
Answer 2: "At our school, all students who take AP Courses are required to take the AP Exam. We also give out one AP scholarship for the student with the highest average in each AP Course. We have many students who enter college as sophomores and many others who are well into their freshman year. Of the students who don't fare as well on the AP Exam or enter a college that will only take 5's (and still recommend retaking the class) they are grateful for the advanced knowledge. Many consider freshman biology a blow-off after AP! They are without exception grateful for having taken AP Courses (even if at the time they were not!)."
-- Lynda Bruce, CW Baker High School, Baldwinsville, New York. 5/20/01
Answer 3: "...The inherent value of an AP course is obvious. My question remains, what do student transcripts indicate if the course is taken, but not the exam; and, what is the value of the exam if students do not intend to seek college credit for the course? We only offer AP courses for Biology, Physics, and Calculus. Only one student has ever completed more than one AP Course at our school, as the concept is still new to the community. Therefore, there is little incentive to work hard for college sophomore status, let alone for exemption from one semester of biology. IU and Purdue tuition are not very expensive for in-state students.
I am a one-woman team here, as the administration and Guidance Department are clueless, and the other two AP teachers are not 'team players' so to speak, and do nothing to promote AP Courses in other departments. I would love to sell this philosophy to the school and community, but don't know how. There is no question the program would raise academic standards for the entire school. I've had private meetings with the superintendent, and she is sold on the concept, but has been unsuccessful in promoting it. Most faculty members are nearing retirement, so maybe we will just have to wait for new teachers with vision to help the cause."
-- Anne Brewer, Mooresville High School, Mooresville, Indiana. 5/21/01
Answer 4: "The AP score cannot be on the transcript for us since the grades come in after our students are graduated. So if a student did or did not take the AP Exam (all of ours are required to) it would never appear on their transcript. The only grades they get are for the quarter marks and final exam/project. I think the value of the exam is that there are a lot of students getting credit for AP courses in college. Our state schools are not that expensive either, but saving money on tuition, no matter how much, is always a plus. Not to mention that sometimes it means only giving a student a little lighter load than his or her freshman year in college.
At our school we offer AP English, Physics B, Physics C, Chemistry, Calculus, Biology, Computer Science, U.S. History, European History, Spanish, French, Global History, and I think an art course. Biology (last 12 years) and Physics C (last five years) are the most recent additions with Global History being introduced next year. Our principal, community, and superintendent made a commitment to AP. I think we are fairly in line with the entire area.
We promote our courses in the lower grades to PTA groups and others. Also our students requested these AP courses be taught. Sometimes you just have to drum up interest among the students. Newspapers are a good source of information dissemination in smaller towns. Tell them to talk to the principal and guidance counselors. College admissions people are also a good source of support. I would get those big universities to write letters on your behalf to the superintendent. After the first year of offering a new AP course the word spreads about the course and students sign up for it. The first year I taught AP Biology I had eight students in the class! Now I have requests from 40-plus students each year."
-- Lynda Bruce, CW Baker High School, Baldwinsville, New York. 5/21/01
Answer 5: "At our school, if the student doesn't take the Exam, he/she doesn't pass the course and gets no credit. Of course, we are a private, parochial school so we can enforce that kind of thing."
-- Rose Tindall, Cardinal Newman School, Columbia, South Carolina. 5/21/01
Answer 6: " I will share what I have learned from the AP list. I think the value of the course can depend on you and your administration. I have discussed with my administrator the concerns I had a few years ago and worked out what many others have seemed to do. The students do not receive AP credit for the course if they do not take the Exam. If they do not, they must also take a final that I have created that is comprehensive for the year. The student will receive Honors Biology credit but will have the grade that includes that final exam grade in the average. (Luckily, this hasn't happened.... I really push the kids and talk to all the parents to prevent a student from not taking the Exam).
Also, if the student decides to drop the course before the end of the semester, he/she will receive Honors credit and not AP credit for the course on their transcript. This is spelled out very, very clearly in the contract that parents and students must sign. Otherwise, I fear that (like some of the other 'AP' courses at our school) the students will sign up for this course without thinking about consequences and believe that they can sail in the class, just barely passing. I suggest obtaining some sample 'letters to parents' from an AP workshop this summer and making sure that everyone who joins the class (and more importantly, his or her parents) understand this part when he/she signs up. The administration (principal and AP) and counselors must be aware of this and promise to back you on this, otherwise you could look bad later. I wouldn't teach the course if I didn't have this support. I'm sure those parents of 'gifted' students would find a way to get this supported."
-- Adrian Castro, John Muir High School Pasadena, California. 5/21/01
Answer 7: "If our students do not take the AP Exam, they do not get the weighted grade."
-- Carl Koch, Riverside Brookfield High School, Riverside, Illinois. 5/21/01
Answer 8: "It's very hard for the teacher to go it alone. Our principal and superintendent were hired 10 years ago and one of the directives from the Board of Education was to raise student expectations. At that time, we had no AP courses. Currently, we have 13 AP offerings. It works. We now have students considering a much wider range of colleges and universities. Plus, it pulls up the rest of the student body."
-- Carl Koch, Riverside Brookfield High School, Riverside, Illinois. 5/21/01
Answer 9: "One of the most gratifying experiences I've had since piloting the AP Biology program at our school (other than having students do well on the test), is when former students come back and tell me that their freshman biology class was a breeze. They often tell me that students without an AP background had trouble with the course but that they simply got out their old AP notes to supplement the professor's and had no problems. Unfortunately, for the third year in a row, my AP course didn't make the cut. Actually, I was told that I had two AP classes this year. Then I heard that they had an overflow of biology students and needed to add first year biology classes. I am one of the few teachers with a science composite certificate, so I am guessing that they killed my AP classes in order to cut down on overcrowding in the first year classes.
In Texas, students don't get a science credit for AP Biology anyway, or any AP-level science. The only courses accepted for science credit are Integrated Physics and chemistry (the old physical science class), level one biology, level one chemistry, and level one physics. Any science course other than those only count as electives. That is one of the reasons I'm having such a hard time getting my course to make it (other than lack of support from the administration). I'm beginning to feel like a fraud, participating in this ListServ, but I want to keep abreast of things in case my AP class ever does get taught again."
-- Jo Ann Burman, Andress High School, El Paso, Texas. 5/21/01
Answer 10: "Our school places the AP Exam score on the transcript. Parents have the option of removing it if they wish. All students are required to take the AP Exam; if they don't, the whole year of AP course work changes to Honors Biology. (How's that for punishment? And our school doesn't offer any Honors courses!) So we give high school credit to a student who takes a college level course. That'll teach those students not to take the exam! Our administration says that AP scores are an indication how well the course is being taught. My 'A' student received a '1' on the test, and my 'C-/D+' student received a '5.' So this tells the administration... what?
The way to know if a course meets college rigor or not is for an administrator to be in the class with the students, know the subject, evaluate the dickens out of the teacher, query students, attend labs, check lesson plans, and so on. No test result of students should ever be used as an evaluative tool against teachers. One of the prime indicators, according to some 'experts' in the field of excellent and distinguished schools, is how many students are taking the AP Exams, not how many pass. I thought that was interesting. So now our high school is approaching 'distinguished' status as all students have to take the exam, whether they are prepared or not. Needless to say, some of the new AP policy changes at my high school have rankled the AP instructors and parents. At least they reinstated prerequisites, and have allowed teachers to drop unprepared students prior to formally enrolling, but there is still more work to be done."
-- Dale Morejon, Gilroy High School, Gilroy, California. 5/22/01
Answer 11: "I think that while students may not intend to use the course for college credit, when they get to college sometimes their minds change. They get sick and want to reduce their course load and then they 'fall back' on that AP credit. Or they sign up for the course in college, thinking it will be easy, and the professor is the very worst and the class is at 8:00 a.m., so they fall back on the credit. Or they find that they learned so much in high school that the college course is boring (actually a very common situation here), so they claim that credit. We also give an in-house placement test, so the folks who didn't take the AP Exam because they were sure they didn't want it for credit often take our test after changing their minds. Like so much else in life, we rarely know at 17 or 18 what we will want/need at 20!"
-- Jean DeSaix, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 5/22/01
Answer 12: "A question: If a student is in the course day after day, week after week, working hard to accomplish the level of thought and care required for success in the AP curriculum, but that student chooses not to take the exam, should that action negate a year of hard work? Many of the posters that indicate mandatory AP Exams to receive credit seem to base their requirement on the fact that not requiring the test encourages the loafers and the sloths. I say that a poor grade in the course would be motivation enough for them to get in gear or get out. Why penalize a student who knows that he or she will not use those college credits? Why force him or her to pay for an expensive exam if they have no need for it? Why make a student who has no interest in the exam sit for it? Are we teaching our classes so that our students will learn biology, or are we teaching so that our students can pass a test? And if a student is motivated by a love of science and biology, should we force them to pay for this test, or should we applaud their desire to challenge themselves without the 'reward' of a good test score at the end of the year?
As you might guess from my tone, I do not require the test. My students recognize that they will have to work to survive my class. Yes, they all get the AP designation on their transcripts, but the grade next to that designation may be high or very low, depending on their motivation and work ethic. Usually it is my very best students, seniors in particular, who elect not to take the test. They recognize that a second turn through first-year college biology will suit them well, enabling them to understand the material more deeply, and to learn what I did not have time to cover. Of course, these are students for whom the cost of a course is inconsequential. Just my opinions on the matter."
-- Cindy Lutz, Friends' School, Wyneedwood, Pennsylvania. 5/22/01
Answer 13: "I'm not sure why anyone wants to require the students to take the AP Exam. If you grade tests and labs rigorously, then the students' grades in your course are their reward or penalty. Yes, some students earn C's in my AP Biology course and they really did earn it. All students are also given a final exam, which is based on past AP exams, so I know if they have mastered what is expected by the AP syllabus. Feeling the need to require the exam falls into the trap of power and money. Look at all of the poor teaching that AP Biology and probably other AP courses inspire. Too many conversations center on skipping labs, covering material quickly, and similar topics. I know that colleges like the AP because it is a known quantity, and there are some good things about the program, but there is much left to be desired about the program. I don't think I would be teaching it if it were not due to the pressure of independent schools offering AP Courses, college admission policies, and so on. I could think of a much better second-level honors biology course than the one outlined by the College Board.¿ Sorry to be so cynical!"
-- Scott Stein, Springside School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 5/22/01
Answer 14: "We have only been requiring the AP Exam for the last four or five years. This was due to a trend of seniors (primarily seniors take AP courses at our school) to opt out of taking the AP Exam. (I am sure this was due to terminal senioritis.) When they did this they became a) disruptive in class, or b) started waves of apathy among other students. Our students do not get out of school until late (the last exams are June 22). So this could make for a very difficult end of the year. We would see the most serious symptoms of senioritis after April break and they would get progressively worse. Also we have state Regents exams in every course, so it is nothing new for us to be held accountable (right or wrong) to the results on a state exam. However, our AP results are not used to judge the quality of instruction. Since making the AP Exam mandatory our lives (as teachers and administrators) have gotten much easier. No one complains about the apathy (at least not nearly as much) since we instituted this policy. Parents like it also since it keeps their student focused that much longer. After the AP Exams most of us take it easy on our students (except Physics B since those students still have to take a state Regents exam[cut '!']). We have a great time with our students, and everyone is stressed together which adds to the cohesiveness of this difficult time of year. It has worked great in our situation."
-- Lynda Bruce, CW Baker High School, Baldwinsville, New York. 5/22/01
Question: "Do any of you have problems with students not wanting to take the test, even though it is required? This is my first year to teach AP and some of my students are already trying to get out of taking the test or trying to drop the course. There are some extenuating circumstances involving placement and my being assigned this class after students had enrolled. I did not have the luxury of teaching these students as underclassmen or knowledge of their work habits and such, but I decided to give it my best effort anyway since outreach was a major effort in my district."
Answer 1: "The AP Exam is a requirement of all AP courses in my school. Students and parents are made aware of the requirement prior to course enrollment. Failure of the student to take the AP Exam results in a grade of 'F' in the course. This policy has been followed in the past but has not been tested in several years and things have changed considerably -- including new administration. The last student who refused to take the AP Exam in an AP Course was also rejected at the college that accepted him earlier (10 years ago). I like the policy requiring the AP Exam but feel there is a need for other course choices when the exam is a requirement of the course."
-- Paul Gardiner, Holland Hall School, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1/31/01
Answer 2: "We do not 'require' the students to take the AP Exam, but they all do. Our district will pay for students to take it, so it is a win-win situation for the students. If they do well, then they get some credit; if they do poorly, then they do not get the credit. My only concern is that my administrators seem to be really hip on looking at the 'pass' percentages for each AP course. I had 50 percent pass last year, but every single student that did not pass got a '2.' They were the same students that I probably should have told not to take the exam. If I were to pick and choose who would and who would not take the exam, my pass rate would have been at 100 percent! My results were very predictable, just by looking at the students. I will continue to let each and every student take the AP Exam, even if it causes my 'pass' percentages to drop. I feel the students deserve the chance at getting the credit for the course if they put forth the effort all year. If they do not put forth effort, I simply kick them out of the course and they are placed in a different course. Besides, if the administration wants to relieve me of teaching the AP course, that is fine; nobody else in the department will teach it! I started the AP Program up in my school after a lapse in AP sciences of over 15 years!"
-- Mike Pilliod, Middleburg High School, Middleburg, Florida. 1/31/01
Answer 3: "I certainly think that students should be encouraged to take the AP Exam, but think that is absurd to require it. Though 100 percent of my students typically take and pass the test with 4s and 5s, those for whom a college will not accept the AP should certainly not be required to sit for the exam. I have heard too many stories of students simply writing nonsense or even nothing on the free response and randomly marking the objective portion of the test that they have been 'forced' to sit through. I have had many students that have taken my class for the benefit of the knowledge that they gain. They feel the course is preferable to some of the other electives, to being an office aide, or something similar. They may not be science majors, but want more science. They do not want nor do they need the AP Exam."
-- Linda James, Midway High School, Hewitt, Texas. 2/01/01
Answer 4: "It seems to me that taking the test is not the issue, but making the decision to follow this through to the end is. I do not require the exam, but strongly encourage it. In fact, some of my students definitely have a below-average chance of ever getting a '3' on that exam. But, they learn a lot of biology, discover how rigorous a college course will be, and perhaps gain some insight about determination and self-respect. They finished something... they learned a lot not only from the course, but from making the decision. That is why I don't necessarily think that requiring the exam is the answer, but leading the way for good decision-making is. When they want to take it, for the right reasons, we have done a lot more for them in terms of self-confidence, self-respect, and goal setting than by forcing them to do it and not truly understand why. Just a thought."
-- Jennifer Pfannerstill, Tomahawk High School, Tomahawk, Wisconsin. 5/23/01
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