ap program update midwest regional forum february 11, 2008 marcia wilbur executive director,...

AP Program UpdateMidwest Regional

Forum

February 11, 2008

Marcia Wilbur

Executive Director, Curriculum & Content Development

AP Program

July 29, 1956July 29, 1956

3 Presentation Title, Date here


Today’s Agenda

Introduction: Challenges in secondary school education

What Does the Latest Research Indicate About AP?

AP and admissions

AP and credit/placement

The AP community’s values, needs, and wants

AP teachers

College faculty

Students

AP Course Audit renewal process

AP Course & Exam Review

5 Presentation Title, Date hereSource: OECD, PISA 2006 database

U.S. Students Fall Behind in International Comparisonsand Raise Concerns for U.S. Competitiveness

In 2006, U.S. ranked 35 out of 57 countries in mathematics

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

• U.S. source for internationally comparative information on math and science literacy of students in the upper grades

• Age 15

• Assesses math and scientific literacy in terms of mastery of school curriculum, and important knowledge and skills needed for life

• In 2006, more than 400,000 students from 57 countries making up close to 90% of the world economy took part in PISA 2006

6 Presentation Title, Date hereSource: OECD, PISA 2006 database

U.S. Students Fall Behind in International Comparisonsand Raise Concerns for U.S. Competitiveness

In 2006, U.S. ranked 29 out of 57 countries in science

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

• U.S. source for internationally comparative information on math and science literacy of students in the upper grades

• Age 15

• Assesses math and scientific literacy in terms of mastery of school curriculum, and important knowledge and skills needed for life

• In 2006, more than 400,000 students from 57 countries making up close to 90% of the world economy took part in PISA 2006


2006 PISA Results

“Teenagers in a majority of industrialized nations taking part in a leading international exam (PISA) showed greater scientific understanding than students in the United States—and they far surpassed their American peers in mathematics, in results that seem likely to add to recent consternation over U.S. students’ core academic skills.”

- Education Week (Published Online: December 4, 2007)


AP Student Performance in Math

Source: Gonzalez, E., O’Connor, K., & Miles, J. (2000). How well do Advanced Placement students perform on the TIMSS Advanced Mathematics and Physics Tests? Chestnut Hill, MA: The International Study Center, Lynch School of Education, Boston College.


AP Student Performance in Physics

Source: Gonzalez, E., O’Connor, K., & Miles, J. (2000). How well do Advanced Placement students perform on the TIMSS Advanced Mathematics and Physics Tests? Chestnut Hill, MA: The International Study Center, Lynch School of Education, Boston College.


College Eligible, not College Ready Approximately 70% of all students in public high schools graduate, and only 32% of all students leave high school qualified to attend four-year colleges.

College readiness by ethnic group:African American 20%

American Indian 14%

Asian American 38%

Hispanic 16%

White 37%

Source: Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States, 9/03, Funded: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Jay P. Greene, Ph.D.; Greg Forster, Ph.D., Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.


Percentage of First- and Second-Year Students Who Have Taken a Remedial Course Since High School

Graduation by Type of Institution, 2003-04

Note: “Remedial course” is defined as a developmental course intended to improve basic skills in English, mathematics, reading, study skills, or writing.

Sources: NPSAS: 2004 Undergraduates; College Board: Trends in College Pricing, 2006; NCES 2004a.

58%

17%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

No Remedial Courses Remedial Reading

Colleges have High Participation of Students in Remedial Courses

24%

29%

43%

36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

4-Year Private

4-Year Public

2-Year Public

All Institutions

Students earning a bachelor's degree

within 8 years, 2004

Leading predictor of whether a student

will dropout

Estimated cost to the taxpayers is $1 billion


Average Time to Degree Exceeds 5 Years for Both Public and Private Institutions

Source: Wayne J. Camara, “College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation,” College Board Research Notes RN-19, March 2003.

6.2 years

5.3 years

2

3

4

5

6

7

Public 4-Year Private 4-Year

Average years to complete a Bachelor’s degree by institution, 2000


Today’s Agenda



AP and admissions



AP teachers

College faculty

Students




AP and College Admissions

In 2007, Crux Research interviewed admissions officers at colleges and universities nationwide, with a focus on institutions (selective and highly selective) whose applicants have higher-than-average numbers of AP courses.


Approximately 85% of Admissions Officers from selective institutions feel that AP experience helps them make decisions

27%

11%16%

11%2% 2%

58%

2%

56%

16%

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Admissions (selective institutions)

Admissions (non-selective institutions)

AP course experience favorably impacts admissions decisions

Admissions – Q340 Base: (n=125)

“We look favorably on students who have taken AP courses. The presence of AP courses is a sign that a student has chosen to challenge him/herself.”

AP Admissions Officer Online Bulletin Board

About 85% of Admissions Officers from

Selective Institutions


Admissions Officers use AP to determine college preparedness, student motivation, and placement

How does your institution use AP, if at all, to support admissions decisions?

20%

27%

31%

37%

58%

74%

83%

83%

2%To make loan decisions

To guard against grade inflation

To sort applicants into evaluation groupings

As a criterion for awarding scholarships

As a secondary criterion for admissions

To evaluate candidates from a range of high schools

To place students in appropriate courses

As an indicator of a student’s motivation/willingness tochallenge him/herself

To determine how prepared a student is for the rigor ofcollege academics


“We consider the learning environment for each applicant – how many AP’s are offered and how many has the student taken advantage of and grades earned.”

AP Admissions Officer Online Bulletin Board

All uses are employed at a higher rate at selective institutions


98% of Admissions Officers anticipate increase or maintaining their current uses of AP in the future


41%

2%

58%

There will be no change in how youuse AP

You will use AP less than you donow

You will use AP more than you donow

Admissions

Higher among selective institutions (47%)

Think about the use of AP in admissions decisions at your institution. Five years from now, do you expect that …?


Source: Chrys Dougherty, Lynn Mellor, and Shuling Jian, The Relationship Between Advanced Placement and College Graduation (National Center for Educational Accountability, 2006)

Students scoring 3+ on AP Exams are experiencing much higher college graduation rates than comparable non-AP students

Student DemographicAP Exam Grade of 3

or higher

African-American 21% higher

Hispanic 27% higher

White 19% higher

Low-Income 32% higher

Not Low-Income 23% higher

College Graduation Rate differences between AP and non-AP students


Hargrove, Godin, & Dodd Study(in press)• Followed 5 cohorts of students in Texas colleges from

1988-2002. SAT scores and Reduced Price Lunch status were used as statistical control variables.

• Students who had taken one or more AP courses in a Texas high school:

• had higher graduation rates

• earned a higher subject-area GPA in sequent courses

• completed more courses in the discipline

• Earned higher first-year and fourth-year college GPAs (The increase was higher still for students who took both the AP Course and the corresponding AP Exam.)


Today’s Agenda



AP and admissions



AP teachers

College faculty

Students




There is a need for high-quality teachers to replace retiring AP teachers, with a need to build commitment, advocacy, and AP loyalty

12%

13%

14%

30%

34%

37%

41%

49%

None of these

Non-AP Teachers

Older brothers/sisters

College admissionsoffices

Friends

Guidance counselors

Parents

AP Teachers

AP Students

ISSUE #3

Which three of the following have been most influential to you when deciding whether to take an AP course?


77%

71%

70%

44%

73%

81%

84%Provide me with more practice

exams

Provide me with formativeassessments I could download

from the Web

Provide more detailed scorereports

Provide me with moreclassroom materials

Provide direct access to myclassroom's AP score roster

via the Web each summer

Create sample instructionalunits for use in the AP

classroom

Provide more detailed coursedescriptions AP Teachers

AP teachers want more AP teaching resources (e.g. mid-year assessments, classroom materials, online score reports)

How important are each of the following potential changes the AP Program could make for teachers?

% Extremely / Very Important


New supports for AP teachers

• Free, new AP Released Exam delivered in secure manner to all authorized AP teachers (spring 2008)

• Online score reports (target: summer 2009)

• Formative assessments (Web downloads)

• New content-focused professional development

• Reduction of breadth, increase of depth in AP science


While there remains healthy support for credit-by-examination business among the credit policymakers: higher ed faculty

In general, would you say you favor or oppose allowing AP studentsto receive credit or placement in your department?

Dept. Chairs – Q240 Base: (n=125)

Strongly Favor, 42%

Favor, 34%

Neutral, 16%

Oppose, 6%

Strongly Oppose, 2%

76% Strongly Favor or Favor

There were no differences based

on selectivity


When drilling down to the Top 200 universities, AP credit policies appear to be increasingly restrictive

47%44%

13%6%2%1%

45%

3%0%

40%

Under 3 3 4 5 No AP Policy

Admissions Department Chairs

What is the minimum score/most typical score required by your department under its AP policy for advanced credit or placement?

Admissions – Q345 Base: (n=125) Dept. Chairs – Q345 Base: (n=125)

Among Admissions Officers, 57% of selective and 78% of

Top Third institutions require a 4 or higher

Dept. Chairs in Sciences and History tend to require

higher scores than those in other subject areas


AP Teachers generally rate higher ed policies as more essential to maintaining AP participation than other issues

17%

38%

51%

62%

63%

68%

73%

74%

76%

77%

77%

90%

0%

AP Exam Administration Via the Internet

AP Exams - Less Material, More Depth

Later AP Test Dates

Better Student Prep for AP Rigor

Fed/State Funding for AP Exam Fees

No AP Exam Price Increase

Improve Quality of AP Teachers

Fed / State Funding for AP Teacher PD

Address Teacher Concerns about Curriculum

Colleges Stress Importance in Admissions

College Award Placement into Higher Level Courses

Colleges Award Credit

AP Teachers – Q345 Base: (n=3,417)

To sustain your school’s current level of participation in AP, how important is it that…

% Extremely / Very Important


75%70% 72%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Providing evidence thatthe quality of AP

courses and instructionis consistent across

high schools

CB audit of high schooluses of the "AP" label to

your institution

Upgrading the APcurriculum every 5

years to match collegesyllabi

College Faculty

% Very / Extremely Important “For the gold standard to be in play, faculty and administrators need to have a greater sense of what AP actually is all about.”

College Faculty Member Online Bulletin Board.

College faculty are looking for guarantees of AP quality, consistency, and rigor


Initiatives needed to increase higher education satisfaction with AP

• Greater involvement of college faculty in the exam development and scoring processes

• Recognition and appropriate remuneration for expertise rendered

• Improved communications to academic departments

• Implementation of standard-setting colloquia that enable faculty from AP-receiving institutions to help define standards and expectations for AP student achievement


Exam scores of 1 are proliferating, showing that many students are not receiving the preparation they deserve for AP

Number of AP Exams by Scores 1, 2, and 3+

212,993

358,246

977,760

396,126

524,391

1,345,521

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Score of 1 Score of 2 Scores of 3+

2002 2006

CAGR: 17%

CAGR: 10%

CAGR: 8%

30 Presentation Title, Date hereGraphic is based upon a regression model.

AP Exam Taking

Taking the examis just part of the

whole AP experience

My teacher expects me to take the AP

Exam

To potentially save money in college by earning college credit

To show how well I mastered the

college level course

Drivers

Being in the AP course is what really matters to get into college, not my

exam scoreThe AP Exam

fee is too expensive

I don’t feel I will get a high enough score

to obtain college credit

I am weak in that subject

area

There wasn’t enough test

prep material offered

Barriers

ISSUE #4

Students cite lack of preparation among the primary barriers to AP Exam taking


Initiatives necessary to foster student exam readiness• Toolkit for conducting week-long AP Summer

Camps to review skills necessary for success in an AP course

• Provision of free AP Course Study Guides (downloaded from collegeboard.com) for students and teachers to use throughout the academic year and in reviewing for exam day

• Exam review materials

• Continued organizational investment in Pre-AP programs and services such as SpringBoard


Today’s Agenda



AP and admissions



AP teachers

College faculty

Students

Course Audit renewal process



Why conduct an AP Course Audit?

Schools Exams Students

1996 11,712 843,423 537,428

2006 16,000 2.3 million 1.3 million

Percent increase

37% 174% 150%


Who participated?

The AP community responded in overwhelming numbers to the inaugural, worldwide review of AP courses.

Where 105,000 syllabi were anticipated, 141,000 were submitted --- and over 14,000 schools participated.

Participant Type Count

Teachers 135,486

Principals 3,066

Administrators 9,744

District Officials 883

College Faculty 839

TOTAL 149,179


Who evaluated the syllabi?

► Nearly 850 college instructors have served as Reviewers and Senior Reviewers

► For all 37 AP subjects, each reviewer teaches the parallel college course

► Reviewers undergo training and qualifying experiences before beginning ‘live’ evaluations


The AP Course Ledger

• Searchable database of over 136,000 courses in more than 14,000 secondary schools worldwide authorized to carry the “AP” label

• Search database by high school, high school code, city, state, and subject

• Entire database is available for download into admission office systems

collegeboard.com/apcourseledger


What are College Faculty Saying About the Course Audit?“My experience [conducting the audit] was very

encouraging; almost without exception, the syllabi reflected serious preparation and a desire to facilitate learning. That is really what is important.”

– James Riddlesperger, Senior Faculty Reviewer, U.S. Government, Texas Christian University

“Some of these syllabi begin with broad themes, and then combine some texts that one might not naturally put together…these unique approaches make me think about the ingenuity of AP teachers.”

– Bruce Plourde, Senior Faculty Reviewer, English Literature, Temple University


67% of AP teachers --- and 81% of new AP teachers --- think the audit provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on their course

21%

46%

17%

11%

5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Total Responses = 26,023

The audit provided a valuable and useful opportunity to reflect on my course

67% agree/strongly agree

62% of AP teachers in private schools thought that the audit provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on their course

81% of first-year AP teachers felt the audit provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on their course


Almost half of AP Teachers felt that they improved their course as a result of the Audit

3%

3%

5%

4%

3%

3%

6%

13%

32%

8%

10%

9%

10%

11%

15%

27%

36%

34%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

I received additional pay or a stipend from myschool or district for my w ork in preparing for the

AP Course Audit

The audit gave me leverage to obtain funds toattend AP Summer Institutes or other AP-related

professional development

The audit gave me leverage to obtain higherquality text books

The audit resources I used on AP Central and theCourse Audit w eb site w ere not helpful to me

The audit gave me leverage to obtain or preserveoptimal amounts of instructional time and/or lab

time

The audit alerted me to changes in the AP courseor exam that I hadn't yet incorporated into my

course

I now have a better understanding of w hatcolleges' core curricular expectations are

I improved my AP course as a result of the audit

Developing and refining my syllabus requiredmore of my time than I expected

Strongly Agree Agree

% strongly agree/agree

66%

49%

33%

18%

14%

14%

14%

13%

11%


Nearly one in five AP teachers felt that the Audit alerted them to changes in the AP course or exam that they hadn’t yet incorporated into their course

3%

15%

21%

41%

20%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

The audit alerted me to changes in the AP course or exam that I hadn't yet incorporated into my course

Total responses = 25,982

*21% of AP English teachers felt the Audit alerted them to changes in the AP course or exam that they had not yet incorporated into their course

**14% of AP math teachers felt the Audit alerted them to changes in the AP course or exam that they had not yet incorporated into their course

***24% of AP teachers in schools with greater than 50% f/r lunch felt the audit alerted them to changes

18% strongly agree/agree


AP Course Audit Impact• 67,000 teachers report having improved their

course as a result of the audit

• 18,200 teachers used the audit to acquire more current textbooks

• 22,100 teachers indicated that they had not been aware of major changes to the AP curriculum until they did the audit

• 18,000 teachers used the audit to acquire greater lab time or instructional time

• 45,500 felt that the audit was just a hoop they had to jump through


Next Steps: Important dates

► Jan 31: deadline for submission of NEW courses for 2007-08

► Feb 1 – Mar 3: Website closed for upgrades

► Mar 4: Website reopens


Next Steps: Renewing Authorizations► Beginning March 4, principals and AP

Coordinators can renew authorizations for courses that:

► will be taught by the same teacher

► will be taught from the authorized syllabus

► Renewal process can be completed online at https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org


Next Steps: New courses for 2008-09► On March 4, the Website will begin accepting

submissions for 2008-09

► Course Audit forms will be submitted electronically – no faxing

► All syllabi will be assigned an ID number► Teachers can share this number among themselves

to alert us to submissions of identical syllabi

► 2007-08 syllabi will also be assigned an ID number.


AP Course Audit Contact Information

► [email protected]

► 1-877-APHELP-0

► Tom Matts <<[email protected]>>


Today’s Agenda



AP and admissions



AP teachers

College faculty

Students

Course Audit renewal process



A National Research Council Report (2002) identified several opportunities to improve math and science education in the US. These recommendations are equally applicable to all AP course subjects.

• Courses should emphasize deep understanding rather than comprehensive coverage.

• Programs should reflect current understanding of learning in the discipline.

• Programs should reflect current research directions within the disciplines.

• Courses should emphasize inquiry and reasoning

AP Course & Exam Review Where can improvements be made?

The National Research CouncilLearning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools2002


AP Science Course & Exam Review Phase I Bio Recommendations

• Establish a conceptual framework that will increase depth and reduce breadth

• Emphasize inquiry-based teaching and learning and integrate reasoning

• Define prior knowledge

• Increase Access

• Assume a leadership role in professional development

• Develop formative assessments


Calls for rethinking what is taught, howit is taught and howlearning is assessed


How People Learn• Students come into the classroom with

preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp new concepts and information that are taught or they may learn them for purposes of a test not revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom

• To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework , and c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application

• A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them


Some design principles:1. Effective STEM curricula

are coherent, focus onimportant ideas within the discipline, and are sequenced to optimize

learning

2. Teaching for understandingbegins with careful

consideration of students’ thinking3. Assessment is aligned with

instruction and desired learningoutcomes


Learning and Understanding

• This study examined AP, IB and alternative approaches (special schools, e.g.)

• Recommends that programs incorporate the principles emerging from learning research as they move forward


Assessment needs to move beyond a focuson component skillsand discrete bits of

knowledge to encompass the more complex aspects of student achievement


The AP Review Project will produce a more inclusive and more engaging program of study for each discipline. To achieve this we identify:

• The essential concepts that are to be studied in depth

• The essential reasoning and inquiry skills that are to be supported by instruction and measured on the exams

• Teaching practices that are most successful at developing understanding

• The minimum resources required to support these practices

• Cutting-edge areas of research that can best capture essential concepts within the discipline and reveal the unity of scientific ways of knowing.

AP Course & Exam Review Goals


AP Course & Exam Review Process

The process of AP Science, History, & World Languages Course & Exam Review has been informed by:

• College Curriculum Study

• National & select state standards

• Established learning science approaches to curriculum and assessment design

• Learning and Understanding (National Research Council, 2002)

• Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005)

• Evidence-centered Design (Steinberg, Mislevy, & Almond, 2003)


AP Science Course & Exam Review How will we get there?

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012*

PROCESS DESIGN

ESTABLISH FOUNDATION

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

OPERATIONS

COURSE / EXAMMODEL

CURRICULUM DESIGN

ASSESSMENT DESIGN

INVOLVE AP & PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY


AP Course & Exam Review How will we get there?

PROCESS DESIGN:

Review process is based on learning methodology, potential risks, and discipline expertise.

• The AP Science Review is supported in its initial phases by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Principal Investigators on that grant provide expertise in learning science, science education, and assessment design.

• Discipline-specific expertise is provided by AP Review Commissions whose membership includes secondary and post-secondary educators and practicing scientists and historians.

• The role of the AP staff is to develop resources to support and facilitate the work of these teams.


AP Course & Exam Review How will we get there?

• Professional organizations, (e.g. the National Science Foundation, ACTFL, etc.) and College Board members identified by consensus the Commission members

• Each Commission is comprised of leaders in Higher and Secondary Education with subject-specific expertise

• The Commission provides input and guidance on:

• Essential course content and skills

• Instructional practices

Commissions were assembled to provide subject matter

expertise and direction for the review

PROCESS DESIGN:

Review process is based on learning methodology, potential risks, and discipline expertise.


AP Course & Exam Review Establish Foundation

ESTABLISH FOUNDATION:

Disciplinary experts identify the essential reasoning and concepts.

Each Commission was charged to focus the AP course review on the following goals:

• Draw upon current research on learning, instruction, and assessment

• Reduce the breadth of content coverage

• Increase depth of understanding of essential concepts

• Develop capacity to use inquiry and critical thinking skills

• Organize curriculum, instruction, and assessment using unifying themes

• Create learning programs accessible to students from a broad range of backgrounds

• Prepare students for success in subsequent college-level courses


AP Course & Exam Review Establish Foundation

Unifying Concepts

Inquiryand ReasoningEssential Content

Integrated Learning

The AP courses and exams will produce Integrated Learning

by embedding the “Essential Content” within:

• “Unifying Concepts” that deepen learning by increasing coherence

• “Inquiry and Reasoning” skills that deepen learning by involving students in knowledge construction

ESTABLISH FOUNDATION:

Disciplinary experts identify the essential reasoning and concepts.


AP Course & Exam Review Course / Exam Model

COURSE / EXAM MODEL

Compile the framework for the course/ exam in the form of claims and evidence.

CURRICULUM DESIGN

ASSESSMENTDESIGN

Assessment Design

• The assessment model will support deep learning by emphasizing reasoning and inquiry

• Each of the scores within the 5-4-3-2-1 scoring model will be tied to clear and specific standards for student achievement

The new AP courses and exams will be based on well-defined learning objectives and descriptions of student work that achieves these objectives.

Curriculum Design

• Course descriptions will clearly define the scope of the learning objectives.

• Embedded formative assessments will support progress toward success on the AP Exam.

• Curricular resources will be provided to support AP students and teachers.


AP Course & Exam Review Involve AP & Professional Communities

Guiding principles of the Review process are to:

• Rely upon the expertise of the leading educators and scholars from both higher and secondary education.

• Solicit feedback and input from those most involved with the courses and exams.

After the 2008 release of the draft Course / Exam model:

• Review and comment by professional communities

• Solicit input from a representative sample of AP teachers

• Involve and consult with higher education communities

• Present the model at professional conferences

• Provide AP Course & Exam Review updates on AP Central

INVOLVE PROFESSIONAL AND AP COMUNITY:

Review approach with and solicit feedback from Instructors (secondary and post-secondary).


AP Course & Exam ReviewWhat does this mean for AP teachers?

There are still many details to be finalized for the AP Course and

Exam Review. At this point, the following impacts are known:

• The amount of change differs by exam. Subject-specific details will be provided as available.

• Through the AP Course Audit network and AP Central, the College Board will continue to provide purposeful, direct and regular updates on any significant course changes

• The criteria used in the Course Audit will reflect the new Curriculum Framework.

• The AP Course & Exam review effort provides a renewed opportunity to involve higher education faculty with the goal of ensuring ever-increasing credit policies across institutions


Your Questions

ap program update midwest regional forum february 11, 2008 marcia wilbur executive director,...

Documents

admissions ap

presentation title

ap student performance

college admissions

year students

ap communitys values

science literacy of

high participation of