The research found, "that students who received a 5 on an AP exam in science and then took the same material in college averaged only 90 - even after the additional year of college study in an area in which they had presumably already demonstrated A-level work."
Who is this subset of individuals who got a 5 on the AP exam and decided to take the course in college instead of getting credit for it? That can't be a representative sample of those taking the AP test or AP classes. Why is an average score of 90 for this group not an adequate demonstration of college- level work? "Students who received an AP score of 4 averaged 87 and those who received an AP score of 3 received an average grade after a full year of college science of only 84 - compared to 82 as the average for students who had taken honors science courses in high school, but who had not taken AP science classes." If a 4 works out to a B average, 87 is actually quite a bit higher than that. If 3 is a passing C, 84 would seem to be much higher than that. I am actually surprised that an AP score of 3 corresponds with a B average. I would consider an 84 to be successful completion of college-level work. The research seems to suggest that a 5 should be A, a 4 should be B and a 3 should be C but that is not how AP scores are used. In fact, no grades are given for AP classes, only credit is given. So, if a 3 is passing with 84%, I see no problem with giving credit for such a score as a passing grade in a college-level class. I also don't know why the researcher assumes that an additional semester re-hashing what the person learned over a full year is going to add much to what they already knew. And the design of the study makes it impossible to separate how much they knew upon entering college from how much they picked up in the college class. It is just assumed that they must have learned more in the college class. Also note that AP Psychology was not addressed in this study. Rick Dr. Rick Froman Professor of Psychology John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (479) 524-7295 http://www.jbu.edu/academics/sbs/faculty/rfroman.asp -----Original Message----- From: Christopher D. Green [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 4:13 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Inside Higher Ed :: Advanced Yes, Placement No Having only taught in Canada, where there are no AP courses in high schools, I often wondered how well this system worked. The answer, apparently, is "none too well." http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/02/20/ap -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-5115 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo ============================= --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
