Changes help students advance to Advanced Placement
More stories from Scott Bowser
More students will be looking for these textbooks as changes are being made to the entrance requirements for AP and Honors classes.
For the 2016-2017 school year, several key changes are being made to CHS’s AP/Honors program.
To apply for AP and Honors classes, students will no longer adhere to the typical process of meeting grade requirements, receiving teacher recommendations, and submitting pieces of writing.
Instead “Students desiring to take an AP/Honors course in the four core subjects (English, math, science and social studies) must now complete the ‘CHS Honors and AP Contract,’” explained Social Studies department head Kevin Wagner.
Students will no longer need to have a prerequisite grade in a previous class, though they still may need to have taken certain classes to be prepared for the content of the course.
When signing up for an honors or AP course, students and parents will need to sign the agreement “that outlines the expectations for students,” said Principal Jay Rauscher.
These alterations grant greater access to these classes for students from “ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underserved,” added Wagner.
The expected benefit of this new policy is to “allow more students to choose a challenging curriculum and […] students who in the past may have not even attempted challenging themselves with one of these classes may now […] have an opportunity,” said McGowan counselor Amy Knapp.
Additionally, AP and Honors students share a similar positive view.
Junior Kate Erfle, who is currently enrolled in five AP/Honors courses, believes “it is absolutely a positive change…to allow students the opportunity to be challenged academically.”
Similarly, junior Bart Winn, also taking five AP/Honors classes, is glad students who “want to push themselves in the upcoming year get a chance to do so.”
With a much larger influx of students expected to apply for AP and Honors courses next year, many will likely have never taken one in the past and be nervous about the rigor.
For this reason “students may withdraw from the course up to the mid-point of the first marking period [with parent and administration approval],” according to Rauscher.
However, the administration is confident these changes will continue to encourage student achievement and success.
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This is Scott Bowser, Periscope's News Section Editor. He's a junior that enjoys Netflix, tennis, and hanging out with friends. #ChipotleisLife
Amina • Jan 15, 2016 at 10:33 pm
I have mixed feelings on the new approach like a few readers above me. For instance, if a student taking a regular class is struggling to keep their grades up and turn assignments in on time because perhaps they have to balance extracurriculars or a job, the chances of the same student excelling in an AP or Honors class is slim. Some students might sign up for rigorous courses just for the benefits but they will not be able to adhere to the requirements. However, sometimes grades do not reflect a student’s knowledge properly because the way a student is being taught in a specific class might not be how they learn as an individual. A new course offers new teachers, allowing them to perform better in that course than in the previous one. Both sides of this argument can be defended; it is all up to a students judgement on whether or not they can personally handle the challenge.
Mary Smith • Jan 15, 2016 at 2:42 pm
I’m glad grades don’t matter as much anymore, because they don’t prove a person’s intelligence and comprehension. AP classes are so important and to limit those that only meet the requirements just keeps them at a standstill with learning and improvement. AP classes area great way to prepare for college, and it would stink if someone couldn’t get that preparation simply because of grades.
Charles Willis • Jan 14, 2016 at 7:30 pm
How can a person not be in favor of equal academic opportunity? However, I can see that this AP contract idea may cause harm to some students. It’s good to hear that students want to be academically challenged. But, if a student has difficulty with normal classes then they would only be setting themselves up for failure in an AP course that has a much intense course than normal classes. The last thing any school wants is to puts studnts in courses that they will not thrive in. In addition, what would make an AP class different from any other class if anyone can take it?
Selena Marks • Jan 7, 2016 at 10:18 am
I think it should be based off how It was before. Someone could want to be in AP but didn’t do the work in the lower class. So who knows if they’ll do the work in AP. It’s not surprising it changed though, everything new happens after the class of 2016 leaves.
MacKenzie Stine • Jan 7, 2016 at 8:17 am
I think this is an interesting idea. I think that it gives people an opportunity to try something they may not have thought they were able to before. I hope it goes well for the students and the school.
Megan L • Jan 6, 2016 at 8:50 am
I’m not sure how I feel about this new change. I think that it’s important to give kids a chance to get to that level but jumping from one thing to another is maybe not the best idea. If they could be slowly integrated into it, it might be good. I just think that it’s important to look at all repercussions first before acting.
Anna Biddle • Jan 5, 2016 at 7:50 pm
I love this idea! Grades from one class should not be an indicator of how well a student will perform in a completely different class. With a little determination, a student can push him/herself to do anything.