Finals in AP classes?

[Anonymous]

My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

[Anonymous]

I don’t give a final exam in my AP classes for this reason. The test is basically final. Instead, post AP test they will work on an in class final project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

OP here. Not sure. I guess I'll find out...

[Anonymous]

Another reason why it was important to start the school year before Labor Day... AND TO END IT EARLIER than mid-June.

The school board got the first part right... and used the AP calendar as a reason. But, then they decided to put in all these days off during the year, so they ended up making the school year just as long as it always was (when kids started after Labor Day). Any time in school after May 30 is Wasted Time.

But, it's not my torch to carry. My youngest will graduate next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

Mine did projects.

[Anonymous]

Mine has never had a final in an AP. They have always done end of the year projects.

[Anonymous]

Some of us have students take their finals now in order to have it do double duty as a mock AP Exam. This gives the kids practice with a full-length test and hopefully reduces jitters on the day of the test.

And that way they just have minor assignments after the AP exams and can relax instead of having to worry about taking a final.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

This is why we need to nix some of the teacher workdays and days off, and end the school year no later than the first week of June like just about every other school district in the country


Yes, this is normal for an AP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of us have students take their finals now in order to have it do double duty as a mock AP Exam. This gives the kids practice with a full-length test and hopefully reduces jitters on the day of the test.

And that way they just have minor assignments after the AP exams and can relax instead of having to worry about taking a final.

Thank you for weighing in. I understand this, I guess it just still seems quite early (in one case, a full 2.5 weeks before the AP) and, at least for my kid, they'd rather have the extra time to study, take the AP as practice for the final and then the week after APs finish, the final. Scoring a 5 in some subjects can be done with a rather low percentage score, but that same score on the final wouldn't even get you a passing grade, never mind an A!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

Mine did projects.

Was it for a grade? Or as a placeholder they just had finished the course?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

It is at our school. Mine is done with her AP Finals. Now they focus on the AP Exam. I love it, takes some of the pressure away when she has her finals in her non-AP classes.

When the AP Exam is over they do projects or quizzes/tests that count toward their grade but not weighed like a final.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's finals in two AP classes are this week and next. I get that it's practice for the AP test, but still seems crazy early for finals. Is this a common FCPS practice?

Wow, what do they do in that class for the final 30 days of school?

Mine did projects.

Was it for a grade? Or as a placeholder they just had finished the course?

DP but my experience on such projects was yes, they were for grade. Such projects provided an opportunity to explore one topic deeper, or get into a related topic, something that was within the general scope of the course but not necessarily a priority for "performing well on the AP Test". We spent ~90% of the year focused on the test requirements, was nice to have at least that ~10% of our studies be not as test-driven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us have students take their finals now in order to have it do double duty as a mock AP Exam. This gives the kids practice with a full-length test and hopefully reduces jitters on the day of the test.

And that way they just have minor assignments after the AP exams and can relax instead of having to worry about taking a final.

Thank you for weighing in. I understand this, I guess it just still seems quite early (in one case, a full 2.5 weeks before the AP) and, at least for my kid, they'd rather have the extra time to study, take the AP as practice for the final and then the week after APs finish, the final. Scoring a 5 in some subjects can be done with a rather low percentage score, but that same score on the final wouldn't even get you a passing grade, never mind an A!

I think most of us curve the final too, just like we curve tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us have students take their finals now in order to have it do double duty as a mock AP Exam. This gives the kids practice with a full-length test and hopefully reduces jitters on the day of the test.

And that way they just have minor assignments after the AP exams and can relax instead of having to worry about taking a final.

Thank you for weighing in. I understand this, I guess it just still seems quite early (in one case, a full 2.5 weeks before the AP) and, at least for my kid, they'd rather have the extra time to study, take the AP as practice for the final and then the week after APs finish, the final. Scoring a 5 in some subjects can be done with a rather low percentage score, but that same score on the final wouldn't even get you a passing grade, never mind an A!

I think most of us curve the final too, just like we curve tests.

OP here - the earliest final my student had will not be curved. Just as none of the tests in that class were curved. Honestly, more brutal than most college classes!