Does AP Help or Hurt?

By: Stewart Hall

Advanced Placement courses are being offered in many high schools across the country allowing students to get college credit from high school classes. While high school counselors, students, and parents express gratification that students can begin college coursework early and prepare for college classes, some college faculty members are beginning to question the rigor of these courses, stating that high schools may be watering down the curriculum. This may be true; however, another possible issue is the way that AP exams are graded which certainly allows for a gap between AP courses and college courses in the required understanding of a subject needed to earn college credit. In his article, Vaishali Honawar states "administrators in some public school systems with dualcredit programs say they have helped students move on to college". One of the administrators that Honawar refers to, Randy Miksch, says that the classes prepare students for college. On the other hand colleges do not believe that passing an AP test mandates course credit. Lynn Olsen says "Of particular concern was the rigor of college courses taught in high schools by high school teachers" in reference to a meeting on the AP program.

Another thing to consider when viewing AP exams as a replacement for college coursework is the method in which they are graded. As shown on the College Board website, the grades are statistically scaled so that a pre-determined percentage of the students who take the exam will pass. This means that an AP score will show how well a student comprehends a subject when compared to other high school students but not college students in the same course. As a result, students who get credit for college courses through AP scores may or may not be getting assessed on the same standards as they would in a college class. This could cause problems in courses that build upon what is taught in AP classes, leaving a student unprepared for further coursework.