New AP testing policy sparks controversy

Aragon students may find their AP experience a little different this year. AP tests are no longer mandatory for Aragon students enrolled in AP courses, and the College Board is taking away the quarter-point deduction for incorrect answers on the AP tests.

In response to recent concerns voiced by parents, school administrators in the San Mateo Union High School District are clarifying policies aimed at encouraging students enrolled in AP courses to take the corresponding AP tests. The official wording of Aragon’s policy toward the AP tests will change from stating that students are “expected” to take the test to “strongly encouraged.”

According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, “Elizabeth Stone, a district parent and an educational consultant, brought the miscommunication to the district’s attention.” Stone said that every student she had talked to said they thought the tests were mandatory.

Parents met in October this year to discuss three main concerns. The first concern regarded summer assignments for AP courses. They discussed whether the assigned summer homework was more essential or more for enrichment, and a few were concerned that their children could not make summer due dates in time because of vacation plans.

As Aragon Principal Pat Kurtz explained, “all of the teachers I have talked to are extremely flexible regarding summer assignment due dates and are willing to work with the student’s schedules. By the educational code, teachers have the discretion to assign work over the summer.”

As of now, no changes have been made to summer homework policy. Parents were also concerned by the difficulty of the AP courses, suggesting that a third, intermediary honors track be created. “However,” explains Kurtz, “the school district does not support this—we had a discussion of this years ago, and decided that it would be difficult to divide students into three tracks, and that we could provide more enrichment with a two-track system.”

Finally, parents were concerned with the perception that AP tests were mandatory for AP course takers, especially since the AP tests are expensive, costing $87 per test last year.

Explained Assistant Principal Jim Coe, “some schools ran into issues because they used the word ‘required’ to persuade students to take the AP exam. At Aragon, we always used the word ‘expected.’ Additionally, we offer financial aid for those who need it. No student at Aragon has ever been turned away from taking the AP test because of financial reasons.”

In the past, Aragon students enrolled in AP classes were told that if they failed to take the AP test for a particular course, their transcripts would be changed to indicate that they had taken a non-AP course instead. Coe notes that “even though we had this policy on record, there was always a way ‘out’ that could be discussed privately with the teacher and I.”

“Although ‘strongly encourage’ is not as rigorous as ‘expected,’” he added, “we still strongly recommend students take the AP test. The AP test is an effective way to compare students from around the country. ”

It seems that most AP students are unaffected by this change. Junior Rebecca Wysong, who is taking two AP’s, supports the change, noting, “even though I’m taking the AP tests at the end of the year, if somebody really doesn’t want to take the AP test, they shouldn’t have to.”

Senior Timothy Chidyausiku, who is taking four AP’s this year, stated that “it is impractical to not evaluate your own performance in class after committing two whole semesters of work. I don’t think that this will affect many people.”

When asked if she thinks that more students will take AP’s because of less pressure to take the AP test, Kurtz replied, “No, I think the course is more difficult than the test. I think most students want to see how they did.”

The true effects of this district-wide policy remain to be seen. Hillsdale High School Principal Jeff Gilbert predicts, “Most students will continue as usual and there will be a few who either see it as an opportunity to stretch themselves and a few who see it as a chance to work a little less and avoid the test.”

In addition to the school district’s changed stance on AP tests, the College Board has decided to drop its quarter-point reduction for incorrect answers on AP tests. A spokeswoman said that the changes will feature “an increased emphasis on conceptual understanding and discipline-specific skills, resulting in fewer and more complex multiple-choice questions.”