At the AP institute last month, I was given a copy of a letter from 1999 detailing the value of AP and taking the AP exam in college admissions – even if the student did not pass. I mentioned having the letter to our vice-principal and had planned on handing it out on the first day of school to my AP students.
Our VP asked for a copy because our AP program is apparently in jeopardy. It would appear that the $2500 dollars spent annually on it (plus, I suppose, numerous reams of paper) is too expensive. There is not enough ROI, as our student do not pass in droves. Instead of investing our achieving students, it appears that some feel the money could be used somewhere else. More books for the online school perhaps?
Is it worth it? I would have to say yes for a couple of reasons. First, we are one of the few schools still offering AP courses. Everyone else has cut them. As our area practices ‘open enrollment’ this means that students from other districts can choose our school over their own neighborhood school. Secondly, we’ll end up loosing around 40+ students to the local community college. It’s a battle to keep those students (and the money they bring) in our school as it is, why give them even more incentive?
More importantly, I think it gives our student body a better impression about our belief in them. If our efforts and resources are constantly focused on remediation, what does that say the students who don’t need it? Sorry you’re bored, now go read a book? Remediation is important, but so is telling our students that we believe they are capable of rigor too.
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