Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has the average number of APs taken by a MCPS student gone down this school year because of new grading policy? For example, if a junior took 5 in 11th grade in previous years, this year they are taking *only* four APs?

New grading policy:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1278710.page

[Anonymous]

Number of AP tests or AP classes? That’s two different things. Magnet kids don’t take AP classes other than ELA and history related ones, but I believe they on average finish 13 AP tests by graduation. Mine finished 17 AP tests at the graduation, half of them are self-studied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has the average number of APs taken by a MCPS student gone down this school year because of new grading policy? For example, if a junior took 5 in 11th grade in previous years, this year they are taking *only* four APs?

On my sample of one (my kid), perhaps yes. My kid was obsessed with the new grading policy the first couple of weeks of school and ended up dropping one of the (trivial) APs to afford more time for the others. Her counselor encouraged this also.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any actual stats on this question (how many MCPS students are taking at least a certain number of AP classes over the course of their HS career, or what the average number of AP classes is for top but not tippy-top students)?

Or alternatively, has anyone heard from your school regarding what they are looking for if you want the counselors to check the "most demanding"/"most rigorous" courseload box for a kid's college applications, and roughly how many APs you might need to be considered for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read Atlantic's APs are a scam article
College Board = $$$ making

They're not a scam, they are the only nationally-normed tool in the US to compare students across states. And as such, extremely useful, and used by all selective colleges as one of the criteria to compare candidates. It's not students or colleges' fault that there are no federally organized exams for high schoolers, like in other countries. The College Board is a commercial enterprise that simply fills the void, like many such in American life, where government fails to provide.

If you want this to change, it will be a tough road because the US is plagued by states' rights, vs federal rights, in most domains, including education.

As for magnets in MCPS: they have their own curriculum, which goes more in-depth and for which teachers have more leeway and creativity. Many magnet students self-study for certain APs and take the exams on their own, to assure colleges that they are capable of high-level work and that their MCPS magnet is, in fact a real magnet. Only local universities are aware of the quality of MCPS magnets. If kids want to apply to universities further out, some external proof of competency is desirable, since any school can call themselves a magnet.

Not a scam if your kid goes to a state school and gets credit for all those APs, graduating early (saving tuition $$) or graduating with double major (making them more marketable for job).

[Anonymous]

I only let my kid take 2 per year after taking none as a freshman. She took AP Seminar and AP Computer Science this year as a sophomore. Next year it's AP Lang and AP Environmental Science. Senior year will probably be AP Lit and AP US History or AP Gov.

[Anonymous]

Mine had 13 APs before senior year, and ended up with 16 APs in total by graduation, all scored 5. This is not atypical for SMCS students.