Heard around town: why is Melrose High now offering Advanced
Placement (AP) classes to underclassmen and why are more students in all grades
being encouraged to participate in AP offerings? Great question! If parents or community members want the
facts around this decision, please get in touch with Principal Farrell,
Department Chairs, or Guidance – they are happy to talk with you. In the
meantime, here are some thoughts from my perspective (as parent of a Class
of 2014 college grad, rising college sophomore, and HS junior)………
·
What is AP? AP courses are
standardized courses/tests in a variety of subjects that are provided by The
College Board (a non-profit who also brings us the SAT) and that are expected
to reflect extensive rigor. Here’s the link: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/home.
·
Why is it important? Because when
colleges look at a student’s application, one criterion for admittance
decisions is “Rigor of Secondary School Record” and all colleges look at it. To
see how it might work, check out one of my go-to college databases, www.collegedata.com, and type in any
school. Click on the “Admissions” tab and scroll down to “Selection of
Students.” The rigor criterion is almost always in the “Very Important” column.
A May 4th Boston Globe article explains this concept very well; find
it here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2014/05/03/exams-near-more-students-ready-for-challenge/Nsk2jWPTPyHgjdt9NDcKtN/story.html.
·
How would a college measure “Rigor of
Secondary School Record?” One way is to look at a student’s course
selections to assess the level at which success is probable and determining
whether the student chose to accept the challenge of more rigorous work (i.e.
if a student took 9th gr. English CP and earned an A, did the
student move up to the Honors level in 10th gr.?). With AP, colleges
will look at what AP courses the school offers, assess whether a student might
have been successful in that placement, and if so, whether it was chosen.
·
What if MHS doesn’t offer as many AP’s as
other high schools? Colleges approach this quandary by reviewing the
School Profile (find MHS’s here: http://melrosehigh.melroseschools.com/our-school/2013-2014-school-profile/),
and considering whether a student took rigorous courses within what a school
offers. The profile is updated each year and sent to each college by the guidance
dept. in conjunction with each application.
·
Should my child bulk up on AP courses just
to be competitive in the application process? Parents should talk to
their child about their interests and aspirations. (Guidance does this too.)
Does your child really like math? Foreign language? Art? When you look at
his/her middle school grades, are there ways to challenge him/her in certain
areas when entering 9th grade? Parents should partner with guidance
and the student to ensure that all credit requirements are met for graduation
while considering what the student enjoys and encouraging the student to
challenge him/herself in areas where evidence shows he/she can succeed.
·
What should parents expect from MHS?
The high school should be offering a variety of courses that provide
opportunities at all levels in as many subject areas as possible (within fiscal
constraints). Teachers should be as well-trained as possible to provide the
kind of instruction that will support good outcomes on the AP exams.
Over the years, I’ve heard folks opine that the high school
wasn’t rigorous enough, and one way administrators are addressing that is by offering
more AP courses at a wider variety of grade levels. As parents we often struggle
with how to best help our children – more pressure or less rigor? Instead, maybe
we should be asking MHS staff, our children, and ourselves “What are the most
appropriate courses for my student, and what is the right level for each and
every one?” In the end, the result should be a graduating senior who has found
an authentic path paired with a transcript and college application that
showcase each student’s unique skills and abilities. That’s what colleges want
to see, and more importantly, that’s what makes for a rewarding next step in
life’s big adventure.
