GDS just dropped AP testing

[Anonymous]

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

Newsflash: Calculus is Calculus, Chemistry is Chemical, Physics is Physics.

Etc.

[Anonymous]

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

Because it isn't a canned curriculum. While some public school districts will approve a single curriculum across their schools for consistency, that is their AP curriculum, not a universal one. Some schools have many versions of AP Lit., for example, each covering a different topic or area. Kids at different schools taking the same AP class do not have the same curriculum, or even text book.

[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.

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.

Why is it devalued? Are you just trying to justify why your child isn't doing it? Lots of smart kids handle it just fine. Mine's also in pre-calculus in 9th. Some privates are "advanced" by reputation only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

They aren't taking a lot of true low income kids and giving them 100% financial aid so screaming equity is kinda silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

They aren't taking a lot of true low income kids and giving them 100% financial aid so screaming equity is kinda silly.

Agree that GDS always screaming about DEI is silly when their actions belie their rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

This. It's not a place for every family — no independent school is —but a lot of kids and families are very happy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Why is it devalued? Are you just trying to justify why your child isn't doing it? Lots of smart kids handle it just fine. Mine's also in pre-calculus in 9th. Some privates are "advanced" by reputation only.

Actually they’re “advanced” by the Intl families supplementing math and science at home from an early age onward.
Nothing to do with the k-6 private school math teachers or curricula. And once you see the materials that’s crystal clear.

[Anonymous]

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

You sound pretty clueless.
Why jump in when you have nothing intelligent to say?

[Anonymous]

Why does PP sound clueless? Some parents don't want their kids caught up in the AP rat race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does PP sound clueless? Some parents don't want their kids caught up in the AP rat race.

Then don't take offered APs if it isn't a good fit for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Newsflash: Calculus is Calculus, Chemistry is Chemical, Physics is Physics.

Etc.

Newsflash: you’re completely wrong. You think there’s only one way to teach chemistry, physics, and bio?

[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.

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.

A billion years ago I signed up for an AP history course in 10th without taking the class, and since I forgot which one I'd signed up for and studied the wrong thing, I would've presumably received a five as a freshman taking the class, instead of a four.

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of when I was in private high school and my relatives would ask me if I was taking Regents courses. When I said no, they tut tutted and said that must mean my school isn’t any good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, what GDS is saying is something that I’ve always known to be true and the college admissions counselors have said over and over again is true but that DCUM simply refuses to accept: AP scores don’t matter for college admissions. They just don’t. They only matter for college credit. What’s important to college admissions officials at the top colleges is that you generally take the toughest courses available to you in high school, and in public schools and many privates those courses are AP. But it’s the courses that count, not the scores on the AP exams. After all, most students take more AP courses their senior year than any other year, and colleges won’t even see the AP exam scores into after they have already made their admissions decisions.

Every time I see a “chance my kid” post here where somebody talks about their kid having all 5s I roll my eyes for this reason. They just don’t get it.

I think it’s safe to assume that a school as prestigious and successful in college admissions as GDS knows better about what is important to college admissions than the likes of you.

AP absolutely count for college admissions, most students who attend those selective universities have 8-12 AP taken in high school. Some privates are well enough known for their rigor that they can get by without APs, but I don’t think this translates to ‘all’ schools. Even so, students that apply to the UC system will be a a huge disadvantage without APs.

GDS is saying it doesn’t matter if students take APs, it seems the answer is more nuanced than this. It doesn’t matter for who? All students? The high SES ones with stellar extracurriculars? The hooked students? The competition for unhooked middle class is quite fierce, it is very difficult to separate students that roughly look the same. APs is one way for students to differentiate themselves. Virtually every top university states that they view APs as the student taking the most rigorous coursework and challenging themselves. I think this is a disservice to the students that are strong academics, but not very good at athletics or not too involved in clubs and extracurriculars.

1000% true. Shame on GDS (and Sidwell and the other independent schools) that haven’t been st8 with their communities. These schools seem to care only about hooked kids, including legacies, athletes, and super-wealthy and VIPs when it comes to college admissions. The unhooked kids, including the very best students are on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Why is it devalued? Are you just trying to justify why your child isn't doing it? Lots of smart kids handle it just fine. Mine's also in pre-calculus in 9th. Some privates are "advanced" by reputation only.

APs are purported to be college level classes. The fact that 9th graders can take them and excel suggests it’s less about rigor and more about putting a label on a class so kids and parents like you can feel good.

And that’s true whether they take it in public school or private school. You shouldn’t be so defensive, it’s clearly not good for your mental health.