Universal AP English & History at Wilson next year for 11th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"You can't force AP math (the only AP math classes are calculus and statistics) because neither calculus or statistics are required to graduate & most kids don't take them...everyone has to take junior year English and junior year US history so you have a situation where there's basically segregated classes based on who is taking the AP vs non-AP classes. Wilson is trying to address this by requiring everyone to take the AP classes."

How are they ensuring that everyone is prepared for AP math? What are they going to do when the less prepared kids all fail AP math?

Again, see the previous poster's (very clear) rebuttal about AP math... they cannot and are not making sure everyone is preparing for AP math. The only two AP math courses that exist are AP Calculus and AP Statistics. Neither calculus nor statistics is a graduation requirement so they can't require kids to take "AP math." Wilson is only requiring two AP classes: AP US History and AP English Language.

OK, so it's AP History and AP English "for all," but my prior point still stands: doing away with an accelerated course load in those subjects amounts to disrespecting these subjects as scholarly courses of study. And before anyone objects that Martin is not "really" "dumbing down" the course load, I would say there's no possible way to offer "AP for all" without dumbing down the course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

This IS a patently stupid idea. I can only guess that dealing with the COVID crisis has kept everyone in the Mayor's office and DC Council so busy that they can't be bothered with correcting what one nutty principal is doing with her school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

The pattern of behavior established when the school promised smaller class sizes and supports for students taking Honors for All and provided neither.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

DP. Where is their plan to support lower performing kids to handle the advanced class?

[Anonymous]

I think all the kids should take the exam. It is a helpful way to gauge how the students are doing. Students don't have to report their scores to colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think all the kids should take the exam. It is a helpful way to gauge how the students are doing. Students don't have to report their scores to colleges

They can say all kids are required to take the exam but they can’t actually enforce it. Walls tried saying that kids would have to pay some amount of money if they skipped the exam, DCPS wouldn’t allow it. You also can’t tie grades to taking the exam because DCPS won’t allow it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

Bet you there is no plan. Nothing happened with honors for all except higher performing kids being bored even though they said they had a plan.

What makes you think it’s any different this time around?

DP. Where is their plan to support lower performing kids to handle the advanced class?

[Anonymous]

I’d dips pays for the exam and the exam is administered at school, why can't it take the place of a final but without the grade. Kids could also do a projector

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d dips pays for the exam and the exam is administered at school, why can't it take the place of a final but without the grade. Kids could also do a projector

Grades are due well before AP scores come out. So they take the exam but just don't take a final? The problem is taking the exam doesn't mean a kid tries on the exam. Some kids bring blankets to fall asleep during AP exams, especially if they are seniors who know the exams won't help with college at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

DP. Where is their plan to support lower performing kids to handle the advanced class?

I haven't looked into it but I didn't make an assertion one way or another. A lot of people on this post are assuming the worst without reaching out to the school to find out what is being done to support its success. I don't know how I feel about the plan but I'm reserving judgment until I have more information.

[Anonymous]

Is it a done deal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it a done deal?

One unspoken benefit of the decision is that it frees up classroom space in the school: if you do away with the differentiation and cram everybody into giant AP classes, then all of a sudden you've got more classrooms for other purposes. Maybe the principal was feeling pressure to somehow accommodate the overcrowding. If she were to reverse the decision now, then maybe there's a problem with what to do with all of the students in the lingering COVID environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet a lot of kids just won’t end up taking the AP exam. For better or worse. Their is no negative consequence for your HS transcript if you don’t take the AP exam.

I think this is what the school is counting on. classes will be dumbed down so not too many kids will do badly, and only the kids who were going to take the AP class anyway will take the test (and supplement on their own) so there won't be a worrying number of bad AP tests. DCPS will celebrate how so any kids now are in AP classes at Wilson and the success of honors for all. I would believe in the school's good faith if there was an acknowledgment that AP classes are hard and that there are kids who are not even at grade level and have not learned how to study for a regular class, let alone an advanced class, and offer some strategy to show how these kids will be able to go from under grade level in English to AP English. instead, there is nothing, just we want to take down racism and the patriarchal society. at least with honors for all. there was the claim that kids would have been in classes of only 10-15 kids and there would have been extra help and tutoring for kids behind (nothing of this happened anyway, but at least it was promised). with the AP plan there is nothing. this is the usual DCPS that cannot educate disadvantage kids and resort to BS papering over the reality, until journalists or others investigate and find the real data

What is your basis for asserting that there is no plan to make this a successful endeavor?

DP. Where is their plan to support lower performing kids to handle the advanced class?

I haven't looked into it but I didn't make an assertion one way or another. A lot of people on this post are assuming the worst without reaching out to the school to find out what is being done to support its success. I don't know how I feel about the plan but I'm reserving judgment until I have more information.

In the 4x4 schedule there isn’t as much time for those extra supports. There isn’t room in the schedule for an extra support class and if a student needs extra help the class is moving at a faster pace then over a full year. Especially if they have the AP courses second semester this will be a tough class to add extra supports to.