GDS just dropped AP testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did GDS inform parents that if your child needs accommodations for AP tests it is going to be even harder to find another school that has space?
Friend’s child is homeschooled due to her extensive medical needs and takes online AP classes. It is really, really hard to find schools that will allow students to take AP tests with accommodations at their school. She never had luck at ANY public schools and called so many private schools in order to find one school with space.

My daughter went to an online school and we were responsible for finding a seat for her AP tests and never had any luck.

I have one child at gds and another child at a SN private that doesn't offer APs. My SN child wanted to take an AP and I asked gds if he could take it there. They said yes until they learned he needed accommodations. The hypocrisy is astounding.

[Anonymous]

I’m sure all the local schools are going to love getting inundated with a hundred separate calls from parents, too. The least the CCO could have done is make arrangements with a few schools or even just find out which schools might be an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sure all the local schools are going to love getting inundated with a hundred separate calls from parents, too. The least the CCO could have done is make arrangements with a few schools or even just find out which schools might be an option.

They will not have the space and are not required to make room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

STA and NCS kept math, science and foreign language AP classes. (they each kept AP calc AP, Calc BC, AP physics and AP physics C, AP chem, AP biology, AP comp sci, AP foreign language (in each foreign lang) and AP foreign language literature (in each foreign lang)
They dropped history and English AP classes.

Parents complain about this because they argue that kids who stronger in English/History will have weaker transcripts than the STEM kids who can load up on AP's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

STA and NCS kept math, science and foreign language AP classes. (they each kept AP calc AP, Calc BC, AP physics and AP physics C, AP chem, AP biology, AP comp sci, AP foreign language (in each foreign lang) and AP foreign language literature (in each foreign lang)
They dropped history and English AP classes.

Parents complain about this because they argue that kids who stronger in English/History will have weaker transcripts than the STEM kids who can load up on AP's.

Well, they have to complain about something, don’t they? Their children are at an unfair disadvantage!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

STA and NCS kept math, science and foreign language AP classes. (they each kept AP calc AP, Calc BC, AP physics and AP physics C, AP chem, AP biology, AP comp sci, AP foreign language (in each foreign lang) and AP foreign language literature (in each foreign lang)
They dropped history and English AP classes.

Parents complain about this because they argue that kids who stronger in English/History will have weaker transcripts than the STEM kids who can load up on AP's.

In public you can do English and history AP's. You can do your history AP starting freshman year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s funny when elite private school parents complain about their schools. Can you imagine the sense of entitlement that these parents feel? Imagine having to deal with that everyday!

I still can’t imagine sending my CHILD to a school that is untrustworthy, not transparent, and hides processes / curricula / college application information.

[Anonymous]

At least dropping their kids off. A basic right is easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

STA and NCS kept math, science and foreign language AP classes. (they each kept AP calc AP, Calc BC, AP physics and AP physics C, AP chem, AP biology, AP comp sci, AP foreign language (in each foreign lang) and AP foreign language literature (in each foreign lang)
They dropped history and English AP classes.

Parents complain about this because they argue that kids who stronger in English/History will have weaker transcripts than the STEM kids who can load up on AP's.

In public you can do English and history AP's. You can do your history AP starting freshman year.

Taking AP history in 9th grade is why the AP is devalued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

STA and NCS kept math, science and foreign language AP classes. (they each kept AP calc AP, Calc BC, AP physics and AP physics C, AP chem, AP biology, AP comp sci, AP foreign language (in each foreign lang) and AP foreign language literature (in each foreign lang)
They dropped history and English AP classes.

Parents complain about this because they argue that kids who stronger in English/History will have weaker transcripts than the STEM kids who can load up on AP's.

My child in MCPS took an AP history in 9th and it was a great fit. Why the hate? Many of his friends did it too. It was not stressful and prepared her for future AP classes. Stop comparing and deal with it.

In public you can do English and history AP's. You can do your history AP starting freshman year.

Taking AP history in 9th grade is why the AP is devalued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They had dropped the AP courses a few years ago (collusion case successfully brought by DOJ as a result of this as we all remember).

Now GDS just announced that they are dropping AP testing

"Over the last year, our team has been in conversation with dozens of college admissions offices from small liberal arts colleges to large flagship state institutions. In each of these conversations, we have confirmed what we shared with families when GDS moved away from AP courses: For college admissions, there is no advantage to taking AP tests if you attend a high school that does not offer that coursework."

Is this statement true? How about the increasing # of kids who have been applying and matriculating at UK/Ireland/Canadian schools? How about schools like NYU that actually take AP testing in lieu of SAT/ACT (optional of course).

Something about this decision sits wrong with me...they are making it even harder for the subset of students who dont want to go to SLACs.

Also what about the college credit that some schools - esp. state flagships still offer for AP tests 4+

How's that for GDS equity mission?

They asked dozens of college admission offices.

You're asking DCUM.

Who might have the better information on this?

DCUM of course.

[Anonymous]

GDS asked about whether AP tests help with college admissions not whether it helps students get credits for graduation or pass out of intro courses. Those are other important reasons kids take AP classes. This just seems to hypocritical for a school that says it cares about equity, since lower income students are more likely to care about getting college credits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember like 5 years ago all the top privates said they were getting rid of APs. Is GDS the only one that followed through? Seems like STA and NCS completely backtracked.

Did Covid somehow break the solidarity?

Why did they get rid of AP courses in the first place?

[Anonymous]

GDS is a love it or hate it kind of school.
You gotta drink the kool aid.
Stop questioning every damn thing or you will lose your mind. Why look for perfection?

[Anonymous]

I personally sent my kids to private to get away from APs. Why pay all that money to get canned curriculum?