Setting the record straight on AP exams

Column

This letter is in response to Randy Brooks' letter to the editor titled "The truth behind AP exams." First, let me say how proud I am that one of Central High School's students has the grit and determination to use this medium to express his displeasure with, what he believes, to be an injustice in our manner of operating.

Unfortunately, Mr. Brooks seems to have been misguided regarding the merits of the Advanced Placement program. I hope to clarify some specific school concerns Mr. Brooks brought up.

College Board, the non-profit organization responsible for Advanced Placement, stresses the importance of equity and access to these rigorous, challenging classes for all students. Directly from the College Board's website, it is stated that "the College Board strongly encourages educators to make equitable access a guiding principle for their AP programs by giving all willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to participate in AP."

College Board advocates for all students to be exposed to rigorous coursework to help "improve writing skills, problem-solving abilities, time management, discipline, and study habits" and acknowledges the benefits received by students simply due to their participation in these classes, exclusive of their results on the AP exam in May. Central High School supports this vision and the efforts of the College Board by eliminating barriers that might exclude willing and able students from enrolling in advanced classes.

Mr. Brooks alluded to the fact that Central is pushing students to take AP classes whether or not the students are able to handle the academics. The determination of a student's ability to succeed in an AP class is not a decision Mr. Brooks is qualified to make. CHS does not have an elitist philosophy of enrollment criteria for AP classes.

While some teachers may concur with Mr. Brooks' opinion, the administration firmly believes that all students should have the opportunity to experience the academic challenges of AP coursework.

Most of our teachers do embrace this philosophy and go above and beyond to provide support for our students. Central does not force students into AP classes.

In fact, many honors classes do exist – contradicting another incorrect statement made by Mr. Brooks. All students enrolled in AP classes do so of their own volition during the course selection process.

If these "students…who do not belong" decide to enroll in AP classes, we also applaud their grit and determination to be successful in an arena once deemed off-limits to them.

If you look at AP enrollment numbers, Central only gave 230 exams last year while 337 were given the previous year. If Central is forcing students to take these classes and not letting them withdraw, to what does Mr. Brooks equate this drop in test numbers?

While we decreased our percent of students scoring a 3-5, there was a 33 percent decrease in AP exams. To lose over 100 tests and only drop our passing rate by 6 percent acknowledges the caliber of our teaching staff.

Central's passing rate last year was higher than the state average. Mr. Brooks states, "the more students they have taking the exams, the more students that are bound to pass the exams."

If Mr. Brooks had looked at these trends, he would have seen that the passing rate has fluctuated between 42 percent and 52 percent ('06-'07: 52 percent, '07-'08: 42 percent, '08-'09: 46 percent, '09-'10: 51 percent, '10-'11: 44 percent). In addition, the number of tests given in Florida increased 6 percent and nationally 7 percent, while Central's percent tested decreased by 33 percent. The erroneous statements made by Mr. Brooks are easily discredited by the data.

As with other Florida schools, CHS pays for students enrolled in AP classes to take the corresponding AP exam, a cost of $87 per exam. Central pays on average $20,000-$30,000 a year for exams. It is only as a result of the passing percentage that we are able to afford this expense. The schools, along with individual teachers, receive a bonus from the State.

This money rewards teachers for the extra time, resources, and commitment needed to have students succeed in AP classes. The money given to the school is earmarked for AP purposes only. The supposition Mr. Brooks makes about the school using AP enrollment as a means to make up for budget deficits is completely inaccurate. AP funds can only be used to improve the quality and sustainability of the AP program. These funds not only provide payment for AP exams, but also provide extensive training for teachers and resources for AP students.

FCIM (Florida Continuous Improvement Model) is a Florida Department of Education initiative aimed at improving students' reading, critical thinking, and analytical skills. FCIM strategies are incorporated in all content areas and taught more explicitly during the extra 20 minutes in 4th period classes (due to lunch schedules).

According to Mr. Brooks' argument, this extra 20 minutes would give his 4th period AP Psychology class an unfair advantage over those without the additional 20 minutes. Instead, this time is used to improve and hone skills.

Teachers embed these targeted skills into their content at appropriate complexity levels. If Mr. Brooks feels these strategies have not been presented with enough rigor, we suggest that he communicate this concern to his teacher. F

CIM assessments are given biweekly, not weekly. The test questions are selected to meet varying levels of complexity that assess students' mastery of the skills. FCIM assessments are not designed to impact a student's overall course grade. FCIM results should be included in an already established category and preferably the category with the lowest weight. In most classes, students have numerous grades in multiple categories; thus, the effect of these assessments is miniscule.

I am unsure as to the source of Mr. Brooks' misinformation. I sincerely hope it did not stem from one of the professionals on my campus. To deliberately present a distorted version of the truth to impressionable students would clearly be unethical and immoral. My staff cannot claim ignorance, as they have been provided the same information mentioned in this letter numerous times. This misinformation only diminishes the great strides and accomplishments our students have made here at Central High School.