What is Success in an AP Course?
I've made no secret that I'm a firm believer in the value of the Advanced Placement (AP) program from the College Board. For years, I've advocated to expand the program in my school and others. One argument I hear against schools developing AP programs is that it is difficult to earn a passing score on an AP Exam. This argument suggests that student success is completely determined by scoring well enough on the AP Exam to earn college credit for the course. I posit that a student can find success in an AP course, even if their AP Exam score misses the mark to earn college credit. The AP curriculum is more rigorous than any other high school curriculum I've seen. AP exams are administered worldwide, with qualifying scores earning the student credit for comparable college courses at most universities and colleges. In this world where so many students leave high school with super high GPAs, but are required to take remedial (not-for-credit) courses in college, the mere ex...