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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It sounds like you are asking if 30-35% of college bound kids should get a D or F, because that’s the percent that fail the AP from you class?  No.  That’s ridiculous. A D or F takes a bunch of colleges off the table for juniors and can get a senior rescinded.

It depends on the subject and the high school.  Physics C at TJ and AP ES at a bottom of the pack school are different things. AP Lang/Lit is core while psychology and HUG are often electives. Those things matter.

Some APs have a 50-60% fail rate some years. But, I would still wonder about a teacher where 30-35% of college bound FCPS at a HS in the top half of the pack are failing.  That seems like weak teaching.

If you can get more kids to pass, absolutely do. But not sure why this requires a 4 to be a B vs, say, an A-?  Or why kids who can demonstrate mastery but don’t do high pressure testing well should get a C or D when it would be an A or B I’d you pulled “aligns with AP score” out of the mix.

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This is interesting, thanks for your input! Can I ask, why wouldn’t we encourage the college bound students who are failing this AP course to rethink their choices? they are failing for one of the following reasons: 1) their are overstretched with too many AP classes and/or after school commitments; or 2) they are not doing assignments and fall behind quickly; or 3) they are trying their best and doing all the work but because the class is just way too difficult/fast for them they really are only getting bits and pieces of curriculum (still learning which is great but often feel overwhelmed b/c can barely keep up). All these kids, if they do care about the grades and learning, would benefit from slowing down, may be taking lower level class this year, taking extra prep classes before trying again next year? Isn’t this a lesson to learn - make sure to not overcommit.

Teachers always try to support all students but there is only so much you can do at a higher level class of 30 students with large range of abilities.[/quote]

Of purse there is option 4– teacher error— poor teaching, teaching the does not align well with the exam, teachers who dumb down to appease anxious junior parents, or teachers like one of my kid’s teachers in an elective at TJ— “the STEM is nearly impossible, so I am going to make sure my non-weighted, non-honors non STEM elective is nearly impossible too.

And all good teachers support students. But not every single teacher is good. [/quote]

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