New College Focus on AP Tests and GDS
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Anonymous
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I realize this will be a narrow post.
As a GDS parent, I know many like me who have not been happy at the school's decision to remove AP courses and more recently to get rid of on-campus May AP testing entirely. In 2024, the kids taking AP tests all had to find local public schools to allow them to test. for those who don't remember, AP course removal was actually called out by DOJ as collusion between the DMV privates https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-concludes-its-investigation-dc-area-private-high-schools-decision-stop Putting aside that GDS CCO and leadership is generally biased negatively towards standardized testing of all kinds as their prior (just listen in on the parent-CCO zooms), there are now new facts on the ground in 2024. Well covered on DCUM: Emory, Yale, and others are now encouraging AP tests as another means of standardized metrics reporting. Schools like NYU have for years encouraged reporting of AP test scores as a proxy for SAT/ACT. It's built into their application in fact. And lets not get started on increasing # kids applying to UK schools that require AP test reporting, or UCs not giving weighted credit for anything except actual "AP" - not the GDS "UL" designation, and of course the economic and time advantage to parents and kids who AP test out of 100 level college classes. So will GDS change its stance and at least allow kids to sit for tests on campus again? Or even bring back some AP courses? I realize the myriad arguments on this issue here on DCUM from: AP courses constrain teacher flexibility to AP tests and courses don't matter - look at elite NYC and exeter/andover types who have not offered for years all the way to "Selingo" arguments every piece of hard data including AP tests could make the difference when there are 50 applicants for each open T25 spot. As a long time and now sadly cynical GDS parent, my guess is that it will play out like this: first no response from the CCO all of 2023-4 school year will be silence - they will lean on fact that the class of '24 is placing well for college - which is all about amazing seniors and not the CCO BTW then a late decision (probably a year from now so really for class of 2027 in practice) that will retreat from their prior position in part while saving face. |
Anonymous
| I'm not a fan of the AP industrial complex generally, but having said that, isn't it the case that you would not be expected to take APs if your school does not offer AP classes? My kids went to a BIg 3 school with only one or two AP classes. They took several more exams but only reported the results if they did well. Seemed to work out fine. |
Anonymous
The point is---schools are becoming test flexible. Yale (next year) and NYU allow you to submit AP scores in lieu of SAT/ACT in their 'test required' policies. GDS would do well by its students to give them options. My kid goes to a different private that has AP courses and requires students to sit for the exams or they fail the course. My kid scored 5s on every single AP exam which further bolstered his application by submitting those along with high ACT score. If he did poorly on ACT--under the 'test flexible' policy--he could have just submitted the AP scores--but he would have HAD to submit some type of score. |
Anonymous
This is how the NE boarding schools work. No APs and students who choose to self study and test hand pick what they report. It’s the trend at selective private schools in general because teachers despised the rigid AP curriculum. I imagine it would be hard to switch back. |
Anonymous
They likely will require 3 AP scores. That's how NYU does it. No way will they let 1 single AP exam score substitute for ACT/SAT. |
Anonymous
| NYU requires three AP scores even if you have not taken AP classes? That seems like a real equity issue. |
Anonymous
NO. They allow you to submit 3 AP scores instead of ACT/SAT if you want. 'Test flexible' like Yale next year. |
Anonymous
| Our nyc private hasn’t offered APs for many years, but they do offer testing on site for about 12 subjects. And maybe 1/3 of the kids take one or maybe two a year. For credit, for UK, etc. The kids know which APs line up somewhat w offered classes and some (like Econ) you have to totally self study for, but it works well enough. |
Anonymous
NE boarding schools have luxuries that even top DMV schools do not. I bet they have direct contacts at Oxford/Cambridge so those schools may accept an A at Andover as the equivalent of a 5 on an AP test or whatever equivalent of Eton in the UK. They also probably have a small army communicating with all the top 20 schools on a regular basis. I think what is odd about GDS is that when all the schools announced they would drop the AP curriculum, they simultaneously agreed they would still offer the AP tests. It is strange that STA/NCS backtracked even more and actually reinstated some AP classes. GDS is the only school to drop both the AP curriculum and the tests. |
Anonymous
| I mean, people should know what GDS’s approach and philosophy is before they enroll their child there. If a family doesn’t like it, look elsewhere for private schooling. |
Anonymous
I'm guessing the ones starting in at K level aren't really looking 10 years into the future. |
Anonymous
Agreed for kids applying now...but they only last year dropped AP testing and they announced it out-of-the blue with zero phase-in period. So, if you had a HS kid already enrolled, sure you can try to transfer...but we know that is disruptive. |
Anonymous
Yale now requires that you submit all AP exam scores for the tests that a student took but there is no min/max number of tests. |
Anonymous
| The issue for me is more the lack of testing AT GDS rather than the course designation. Why make it so hard for GDS kids to take those tests? Seems short-sighted and puts those kids at a disadvantage. |
Anonymous
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Exactly. With zero warning GDS dropped on parents over the summer that no more on campus AP testing would be offered effective immediately. They provided a link to the AP website and said call around to public schools after a convoluted statement about how AP scores are irrelevant
Each parent then had to call 3 to 4 schools themselves until they could get one that would accommodate. Classic GDS administrative stupidity. |