Reply to Proposed APS Calendar Policy

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]What I don’t understand is how/why starting a week earlier = a better result on the AP exam?   
[/b]
Do APS students struggle on the AP exams such that the whole school system/families should rearrange their lives?

Are there not other, less burdensome means of improving AP scores?  One idea: how about a five day school week on a more regular basis?  Is their evidence that starting earlier is better than, for example, more practice exams?

What is the value of AP exams?  Will colleges in face accept AP credit?   Why are we all re arranging our lives for this?[/quote]

It doesn't. One week doesn't provide that much more time to get through the material or to review or prepare. However, if even a few class periods affords the opportunity for students to do more review or a practice run, [b]that's valuable[/b].[/quote]

So valuable that you'd be willing to replace holidays with an excused absence policy? Or a shorter winter break?n [/quote]

I would happily replace religious holidays with an excused absence policy. I would be even happier to have a shorter winter break. Two weeks is a long time.
But I feel that way regardless of AP exams. I have no issues with starting before Labor Day, either. I would much rather get out earlier in June. The problem is, it doesn't work out that way in Arlington because we have to take almost every holiday off AND have a full two weeks for winter break.

I think the Friday before Labor Day is silly; but I don't care enough about that. It's nice to "ease" into the beginning of the year rather than jumping into a five day week right away. But I'd be fine either way. It's all the disruptions throughout the year, and extra-long breaks that make it harder to quickly get back into it all when they're over, that I strongly dislike and believe takes away from optimizing learning. The more breaks you have, the more "getting back into it" there is, more "rehash/review" and (especially with little kids) settling back down into the routine and focusing. That's what takes away from instruction.[/quote]

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