I think it’s great the DC privates are dropping APs, stress/anxiety and pressure to have perfect grades and perfect test scores has been taking a toll for years on students. Some colleges are becoming test optional, I think this a much needed reset...Let’s remember that the College Board, US News and World Reports, etc. are businesses concerned about profits.

“A spokesman for the College Board provided this statement on the schools' decision: “Over the past decade, the students at just these D.C.-area independent schools have earned more than 39,000 credit hours at the colleges to which they sent their AP scores. That equates to nearly $59 million in tuition savings at highly selective colleges, not to mention the head start these students received in their majors -- particularly in STEM disciplines. At a time when the placement, credit and admission benefits of AP have never been greater, it’s surprising that these schools would choose to deny their students these advantages.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/19/eight-private-high-schools-washington-area-are-dropping-out-ap-program

Anonymous wrote:But won't these classes just be replaced by classes that are equally demanding, but not called "AP?"

Yeah. But the point is the Ivy League no longer gives credit for AP courses, so their primary value is for matriculation, which isn't an issue for top privates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are DC area private schools trying to “move the goal post” in favor of their students given that AP exams are equally available to public school students? AP courses give colleges apple-to-apple comparisons across private and public school students. Sad to see private schools abandon AP courses rather than work with the College Board to improve them

In a word, yes. While all these schools on the list have record demand for enrollment, some have also had record attrition. When public school kids with multiple AP classes started getting 20 acceptances for some kids or every Ivy for others, parents at private schools start looking around and figuring that blowing it out at a public or a catholic might be a better move, or go to the expensive boarding schools which still have an edge.

bwahahaha. yeah, thats it.

The posts of people arguing its a way for privates to distance/distinguish themselves from publics are hilarious and utterly ludicrous. That has absolutely zero to do with the decision. It was the right decisions and made for excellent reasons, reasons that have been outlined fully on the thread.

But keep telling yourselves that if it makes you feel better.

I feel great that my kids attend these private schools and am utterly confident they are each getting the best possible education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are DC area private schools trying to “move the goal post” in favor of their students given that AP exams are equally available to public school students? AP courses give colleges apple-to-apple comparisons across private and public school students. Sad to see private schools abandon AP courses rather than work with the College Board to improve them

In a word, yes. While all these schools on the list have record demand for enrollment, some have also had record attrition. When public school kids with multiple AP classes started getting 20 acceptances for some kids or every Ivy for others, parents at private schools start looking around and figuring that blowing it out at a public or a catholic might be a better move, or go to the expensive boarding schools which still have an edge.

This is sad to me. I was a top student at a mediocre high school where 60% of the kids didn't go to 4 year college, but I had great AP scores, which I assume, helped establish me as "legit" to the Ivy league school where I was accepted.

I got the notice from Holton and read the explanation of the change. It seems to make sense to me.

The way to answer this is to compare # of 5s on # of AP XYZ test taken, and same for # of 4s, for each subject test.

Not the class title, the test results.

GPA is a different measure.

SAT or ACT is as well.

Anonymous wrote:Are DC area private schools trying to “move the goal post” in favor of their students given that AP exams are equally available to public school students? AP courses give colleges apple-to-apple comparisons across private and public school students. Sad to see private schools abandon AP courses rather than work with the College Board to improve them

In a word, yes. While all these schools on the list have record demand for enrollment, some have also had record attrition. When public school kids with multiple AP classes started getting 20 acceptances for some kids or every Ivy for others, parents at private schools start looking around and figuring that blowing it out at a public or a catholic might be a better move, or go to the expensive boarding schools which still have an edge.

Are DC area private schools trying to “move the goal post” in favor of their students given that AP exams are equally available to public school students? AP courses give colleges apple-to-apple comparisons across private and public school students. Sad to see private schools abandon AP courses rather than work with the College Board to improve them

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Public school Animal Phys classes still dissect things.

Private schools in DC area are too PC to dissect things.

Meanwhile, China schools dissect everything plus still test on monkeys.

That's odd. I guess my daughter completely hallucinated the fetal pig and cat dissections she performed in AP Bio this past year at her private school in DC.

really! So it's only a GDS thing?

Anonymous wrote:

Public school Animal Phys classes still dissect things.

Private schools in DC area are too PC to dissect things.

Meanwhile, China schools dissect everything plus still test on monkeys.

That's odd. I guess my daughter completely hallucinated the fetal pig and cat dissections she performed in AP Bio this past year at her private school in DC.

Anonymous wrote:AP classes were designed for families who hope to save some money by have their kids get through college more quickly by skipping the freshman requirements. Its also been a way to "prove" that public schools are teaching advanced classes by using prescribed college level instruction and then publishing the number of those kidws who pass the exam with a 4 or 5. The problem is that the AP classes are rote and all the critical thinking and natural progression and tangential learning are removed.

There is no need for AP classes in top private schools like the ones named in this thread. Honors and advanced classes in these schools, with a little extra studying, is all that is necessary to pass the AP exam with a 4 or 5. Plus, colleges are already very aware of the high level or teaching and expectations at the top privates so "A"s really mean something and there is no need for weighting grades. Overall, APs just arent needed in private schools.

This is not true. AP classes were created to enable kids to have another level of standard measurement on their ability other than the SATs or ACTs. Some kids just aren't good test takers. The AP classes were designed to provide another measurement that enables colleges to judge a student's ability. Colleges can't compare Honors English or Chem. III across the board. The AP classes attempted to correct that. The problem is the implementation is flawed. The classes are too rote. Typically, the students who enroll in AP classes would love to go into depth of a certain topic, but the schedule doesn't allow that. Most importantly, not all schools require the students to take the AP exams, in fact some discourage them. So what was supposed to be a standard, is not because all kids don't take the exams. (I know there are stats kept by AP officials recording what percentage take the exams and do the exam scores correlate with the class grades, but they are very loose.) Too, colleges don't require AP Exam grades, so that eliminates the standard. Most kids (and teachers) don't like AP classes, but the kids know the colleges are looking to see if the student enrolled in the most advanced classes.

Anonymous wrote:It was a no brainer. The GDS head of school put it well. Their kids do quite well on the AP tests anyway and can continue to take them, but why conform the curriculum to the AP straitjacket format?

It's called, "I can't continue to charge more than $40K if I offer the same curriculum as public. It's a marketing/differentiation move, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AP classes were designed for families who hope to save some money by have their kids get through college more quickly by skipping the freshman requirements. Its also been a way to "prove" that public schools are teaching advanced classes by using prescribed college level instruction and then publishing the number of those kidws who pass the exam with a 4 or 5. The problem is that the AP classes are rote and all the critical thinking and natural progression and tangential learning are removed.

There is no need for AP classes in top private schools like the ones named in this thread. Honors and advanced classes in these schools, with a little extra studying, is all that is necessary to pass the AP exam with a 4 or 5. Plus, colleges are already very aware of the high level or teaching and expectations at the top privates so "A"s really mean something and there is no need for weighting grades. Overall, APs just arent needed in private schools.

I agree with this - which is not to say that they aren't "needed" in public schools. I think children wanting a rigorous academic path in PS can see AP courses, taught by competent teachers, as a proxy for that. Public Schools don't get fancy courses like Neuroscience, etc. - we don't pay $40K a year so there are trade-offs. The AP courses, however, are good (not the best, not perfect) courses that serve a purpose of providing a road map for a decent education in a particular subject.

Public school Animal Phys classes still dissect things.

Private schools in DC area are too PC to dissect things.

Meanwhile, China schools dissect everything plus still test on monkeys.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But won't these classes just be replaced by classes that are equally demanding, but not called "AP?"

If the new classes don’t recall hundreds of dollars in testing fees each year that would be a great thing.

Private s hills know how to create good rigorous classes, they don’t need APs,

I don't really care if a History or English class has an AP label or not.

Plus my kids will continue to take whatever AP tests help them out; looks like 2-3 a year. Our WDC upper school knows this and it is prevalent.