Moving AP testing for an O Day

[Anonymous]

Just got FCPS’s AP testing info. They are not giving AP Environmental Science or AP Psych as scheduled because it’s an O Day. Rather than moving kids who needed an accommodation into late testing, everyone gets put there. So, there is no flexibility for kids who have emergencies these days. Because the late test date is moved.

The fact that O Days impacted APs was raised last year, and we were assured events scheduled by entities outside FCPS would not be impacted. Well, they are impacted. And this isn’t AP Japanese. Psych and ES are some of the most popular tests.

This is BS in a public school system. Hundreds of kids should have their APs put at risk for religious observances. It’s flat out illegal.

[Anonymous]

Can you give a little more information for those of us whose kids aren't in high school yet? When are they doing the AP Psych and Environmental Science tests? It looks like the standard day for these tests is May 3, 2022 - what's the conflict with the FCPS calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you give a little more information for those of us whose kids aren't in high school yet? When are they doing the AP Psych and Environmental Science tests? It looks like the standard day for these tests is May 3, 2022 - what's the conflict with the FCPS calendar?

Sure. The O day is 5/3 for Eid. Normally, everyone in the country takes the same test at the same time. But there are are emergency or backup days in case of emergencies or conflicts. For example, sometime 2 tests that relatively few kids take are scheduled at the same time, so one test is taken at the backup date. Kids out for Eid, would normally use the backup date. It’s especially important thi year, because kids could have COVID or be quarantining.

FCPS is moving all kids from two very popular APs to the backup date. This is a problem, because if a kid has a family emergency or COVID quarantine, they are screwed. There is no test administration option. And kids use these results for college credits me admissions, where they are more important in some cases now that SATs and ACTs are optional.

This also extend the AP testing window into a third week. For hig performing kids, the 2 AP weeks re brutal. My kid is taking 6 APs, but Econ and Comp. Go are two tests. So, she’s got: AP English Lit, AP Latin, micro Economics, Macro Econ, Comp Gov, US Gov, Calculus ad Environmental Science. Having to stay in AP test mode foran extra week is awful. The reality is that she will probably choose not to take ES because she’ll be admitted to college and she’s not strong in STEM.

When the calendar was publish, HS parents raised concerns bout an O day in the AP window. We were assured this was FCPS scheduled events only and thing like APs would not be touched.

Parents are also concerned that there is only oneFriday in April that isn’t an O Day, TWD or spring break. Teachers not bing allowed to teacher in lead up to APs is awful.

This is a public school system. What they are doing is blatantly illegal. Kids should not be be prejudiced academically for religious reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just got FCPS’s AP testing info. They are not giving AP Environmental Science or AP Psych as scheduled because it’s an O Day. Rather than moving kids who needed an accommodation into late testing, everyone gets put there. So, there is no flexibility for kids who have emergencies these days. Because the late test date is moved.

The fact that O Days impacted APs was raised last year, and we were assured events scheduled by entities outside FCPS would not be impacted. Well, they are impacted. And this isn’t AP Japanese. Psych and ES are some of the most popular tests.

This is BS in a public school system. Hundreds of kids should have their APs put at risk for religious observances. It’s flat out illegal.

So now there is no back up date at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got FCPS’s AP testing info. They are not giving AP Environmental Science or AP Psych as scheduled because it’s an O Day. Rather than moving kids who needed an accommodation into late testing, everyone gets put there. So, there is no flexibility for kids who have emergencies these days. Because the late test date is moved.

The fact that O Days impacted APs was raised last year, and we were assured events scheduled by entities outside FCPS would not be impacted. Well, they are impacted. And this isn’t AP Japanese. Psych and ES are some of the most popular tests.

This is BS in a public school system. Hundreds of kids should have their APs put at risk for religious observances. It’s flat out illegal.

So now there is no back up date at all?

Exactly. There I one backup date, or kids can’t test. And FCPS is using the backup date because there is an O Day on the actual test day. And it affects a lot of kids. Very popular (relatively easy, pad your GPA) APs. So if a kid has COVID or is in quarantine or has. Death in the family, etc, they just can’t test.

Before this kids who were out for Eid would be accommodated with the backup date. But O days have now been expanded to include no nationally given standardized test for anyone.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm totally with you!

My kids is only taking AP Psych and AP Enviro. I don't think they should be screwing around with the AP schedule just for a few students who have issues with that day.

Like you said, they are essentially erasing any make-up possibility for ALL kids who take AP Psych and AP Enviro. That is actually adversely affecting ALL the kids who don't need to celebrate Eid, as well as the kids who DO want to celebrate Eid. Now ALL of them have no back-up opportunity for those tests or any other AP tests that might have needed to have a back up.

For instance if you are taking AP Psych and AP English Lang (which is on a different day), and for some reason you are sick on the AP Engl test day, guess what.... you no longer have the option of using the back up day for the Eng. test that you were too sick to take.... why? B/C FCPS decided that you are taking the AP Psych test that day.

This is not right.

[Anonymous]

O days are out of control. Our school already had a senior skip day on the second O day. This was passed with no public input after a closed door session, and sold as no major tests scheduled by teacher.

Now we learn nothing could be done on O days. Instruction stops. They are fine with “pausing kids for one or more days. But if it’s a religious holiday, teaching would give kids present an “advantage”.

No teaching (4 of 5 Fridays in April are holidays or O Days) because beyond isn’t there. No testing, because some kids might need to late test.

Religion should not be dictating instructional decisions. And certainly not the AP schedule.

[Anonymous]

Yeah this seems really problematic and affects so many kids. I grew up Muslim but my parents absolutely would have sent me to take the AP test even if it fell on Eid.

[Anonymous]

not the same as religious holidays, but last year sport district/regional play off games were scheduled on AP exams times (not just days - the exact same time.) No one cared (expect the kids/parents affected.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not the same as religious holidays, but last year sport district/regional play off games were scheduled on AP exams times (not just days - the exact same time.) No one cared (expect the kids/parents affected.)

Test doesn’t seem right, because all kids take it at the same time. But, i it was, I sure kid affected kids could use the late test date. This year, that won’t be an option. Because the whole school system grinds to a halt for 11 religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give a little more information for those of us whose kids aren't in high school yet? When are they doing the AP Psych and Environmental Science tests? It looks like the standard day for these tests is May 3, 2022 - what's the conflict with the FCPS calendar?

Sure. The O day is 5/3 for Eid. Normally, everyone in the country takes the same test at the same time. But there are are emergency or backup days in case of emergencies or conflicts. For example, sometime 2 tests that relatively few kids take are scheduled at the same time, so one test is taken at the backup date. Kids out for Eid, would normally use the backup date. It’s especially important thi year, because kids could have COVID or be quarantining.

FCPS is moving all kids from two very popular APs to the backup date. This is a problem, because if a kid has a family emergency or COVID quarantine, they are screwed. There is no test administration option. And kids use these results for college credits me admissions, where they are more important in some cases now that SATs and ACTs are optional.

This also extend the AP testing window into a third week. For hig performing kids, the 2 AP weeks re brutal. My kid is taking 6 APs, but Econ and Comp. Go are two tests. So, she’s got: AP English Lit, AP Latin, micro Economics, Macro Econ, Comp Gov, US Gov, Calculus ad Environmental Science. Having to stay in AP test mode foran extra week is awful. The reality is that she will probably choose not to take ES because she’ll be admitted to college and she’s not strong in STEM.

When the calendar was publish, HS parents raised concerns bout an O day in the AP window. We were assured this was FCPS scheduled events only and thing like APs would not be touched.

Parents are also concerned that there is only oneFriday in April that isn’t an O Day, TWD or spring break. Teachers not bing allowed to teacher in lead up to APs is awful.

This is a public school system. What they are doing is blatantly illegal. Kids should not be be prejudiced academically for religious reasons.

I agree with you that the O days are a tremendous issue as they relate to AP exams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm totally with you!

My kids is only taking AP Psych and AP Enviro. I don't think they should be screwing around with the AP schedule just for a few students who have issues with that day.

Like you said, they are essentially erasing any make-up possibility for ALL kids who take AP Psych and AP Enviro. That is actually adversely affecting ALL the kids who don't need to celebrate Eid, as well as the kids who DO want to celebrate Eid. Now ALL of them have no back-up opportunity for those tests or any other AP tests that might have needed to have a back up.

For instance if you are taking AP Psych and AP English Lang (which is on a different day), and for some reason you are sick on the AP Engl test day, guess what.... you no longer have the option of using the back up day for the Eng. test that you were too sick to take.... why? B/C FCPS decided that you are taking the AP Psych test that day.

This is not right.

Correcting myself. The make up dates are different for different exams. So, it would only affect the people taking AP Enviro and/or AP Psych. If you are taking either of those (or both), you get no make up date. And in my kid's case, I know she'd prefer to take one on May 3rd and one on the make up date. I'm going to see if there is any way for her to take it somewhere else on May 3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm totally with you!

My kids is only taking AP Psych and AP Enviro. I don't think they should be screwing around with the AP schedule just for a few students who have issues with that day.

Like you said, they are essentially erasing any make-up possibility for ALL kids who take AP Psych and AP Enviro. That is actually adversely affecting ALL the kids who don't need to celebrate Eid, as well as the kids who DO want to celebrate Eid. Now ALL of them have no back-up opportunity for those tests or any other AP tests that might have needed to have a back up.

For instance if you are taking AP Psych and AP English Lang (which is on a different day), and for some reason you are sick on the AP Engl test day, guess what.... you no longer have the option of using the back up day for the Eng. test that you were too sick to take.... why? B/C FCPS decided that you are taking the AP Psych test that day.

This is not right.

Correcting myself. The make up dates are different for different exams. So, it would only affect the people taking AP Enviro and/or AP Psych. If you are taking either of those (or both), you get no make up date. And in my kid's case, I know she'd prefer to take one on May 3rd and one on the make up date. I'm going to see if there is any way for her to take it somewhere else on May 3

+1. I’m trying to figure out if my kid can go to Loudoun to take the exam, since we are western county. DS will be over six tests and have to pay anyway. I really don’t want three weeks of APs in May of senior year. Two weeks is bad enough. He only needs Paych that day, and O days are senior skip ays this year, so she’s missing nothing.

Plus, a COVID quarantine during APs would b just our luck. I don’t want to have no backup plan during a pandemic.

Does anyone know if you can have your kid test at a different school, like with SATs? There have to be provisions for homeschoolers, etc, right?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like the real problem is College Board scheduling AP exams on days of religious observance. They could have scheduled around it but instead decided to give the middle finger to observant Muslims.

If it was an exam scheduled for Easter lots of people would be singing a different tune on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like the real problem is College Board scheduling AP exams on days of religious observance. They could have scheduled around it but instead decided to give the middle finger to observant Muslims.

If it was an exam scheduled for Easter lots of people would be singing a different tune on this.

Muslims are 1% of the population in the US. It seems appropriate to allow them the use the makeup day if they don’t want to take a test on EID. Op’s point is that it doesn’t make sense to force 100% of the students to use the makeup day.