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Announcing AP U.S. History Course and Exam Revisions

Announcing AP U.S. History Course and Exam Revisions. AP Annual Conference. July 20, 2012. AP USH Course and Exam Revisions. Course Update Project Goals The AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework The Revised AP U.S. History Exam Design Teacher Support Frequently Asked Questions

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Announcing AP U.S. History Course and Exam Revisions

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  1. Announcing AP U.S. History Course and Exam Revisions AP Annual Conference July 20, 2012

  2. AP USH Course and Exam Revisions • Course Update • Project Goals • The AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework • The Revised AP U.S. History Exam Design • Teacher Support • Frequently Asked Questions • Audience Q & A • Agenda AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  3. AP U.S. History: Course Update Announced in email to AP U.S. History teachers, June 2012: The AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework will be available in October 2012 The course will first be taught in fall 2014, with the first revised AP Exam given in May 2015. Workshop consultant training will begin in spring 2013 and continue in spring 2014. Teacher support efforts will roll out over the next 2 years. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  4. AP U.S. History: Revision Goals AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  5. Revision Goals: Depth and Breadth What are some benefits of going into depth when studying the past? AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  6. Revision Goals: Depth and Breadth What are the benefits of going into depth when studying the past? • Patterns: Use specifics to understand larger trends • Inquiry: Ask questions instead of memorizing answers • Critical Thinking: Develop the ability to reason with evidence • Engagement: Build off of curiosity and connection …but going into depth takes instructional time. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  7. Revision Goals: AP Teachers AP Teacher Survey, Open Forum, 2011 AP U.S. History Reading “The current AP U.S. History Exam effectively provides teachers with flexibility to teach some topics in greater depth than others.” • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  8. Revision Goals: AP Teachers AP Teacher Survey, Open Forum, 2011 AP U.S. History Reading “The current AP U.S. History Exam effectively provides teachers with flexibility to teach some topics in greater depth than others.” Strongly Agree, Agree Neutral Disagree, Strongly Disagree AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  9. Revision Goals: Higher Ed 1. Develop Student Proficiency In Historical Thinking Skills “I think skills are vastly more crucial to success than content knowledge” “[I] really think the increased focus on the 4 basic skills as an organizational framework is very important.” “[R]eally stress [to teachers] to focus on the skills, as that is the most important part of the course in my mind.” Source: Higher Education Validation Study, November 2010 AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  10. Revision Goals: Higher Ed 2. Include Critical Recent Scholarship in U.S. History AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  11. Revision Goals AP teachers and higher ed faculty share the same goal: An AP U.S. History course and exam that fosters depth, flexibility, and engagement while reflecting faculty expectations about current college-level U.S. History survey courses. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  12. The Draft Curriculum Framework Validating the Scope: Higher Ed • Overall results: • Very effective at preparing students for success in sequent college-level U.S. history courses • Highly favorable for granting credit and placement • Appropriately balances depth of conceptual understanding with breadth of topic coverage to foster student success in subsequent college-level courses History department chairs and faculty at colleges and universities strongly endorsed the draft curriculum framework in a November 2010 validation study. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  13. The Draft Curriculum Framework Validating the Scope: Higher Ed The study also confirmed that Higher Ed faculty would be less likely to grant AP credit and placement to a course that did not includepre-Columbian and recent history. Mean Scores of Essential Knowledge Statements, by Period 7.36: Mean of Essential Knowledge Statements for whole curriculum framework document Period 1 (1491-1607) Mean: 7.14 Period 9 (1980-present) Mean: 7.19 AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  14. The Draft Curriculum Framework • AP Teachers working in focus groups estimated that the revised course could fit comfortably within the academic year • Without seeing a revised exam, however, participants’ estimates were highly tentative • Validating the Scope: AP Teachers AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  15. At this time last year, we asked… • Cut additional topics from the curriculum framework? • Reduce or even get rid of the multiple choice section? • Have students submit a portfolio based assessment? • Turn the course into two courses (U.S. History 1 and 2)? How should AP U.S. History change to promote the goals of flexibility and depth? Should the College Board… AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  16. Research into Options Recommendations on Next Steps • Not enthusiastic about splitting the course or removing more topics from the curriculum. High School and Higher Ed Partners • Focus AP Exam questions on historical reasoning • Reward classroom flexibility with the types of questions asked • Retain multiple-choice questions, but rethink their purpose Experts on Historical Thinking and Learning AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  17. A Comprehensive Solution Curriculum Assessment • Clearly identify what’s being assessed in the curriculum framework • Rethink the AP Exam design to match curricular expectations AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  18. The AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  19. The AP USH Curriculum Framework • Nine historical thinking skills • Seven course themes • Key concepts for each of nine periods • Learning Objectives for the course as a whole • Major elements: AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  20. Defining the Historical Thinking Skills Proficiencies defined across the three AP History courses: AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  21. Defining Course Themes Overarching “big ideas” that structure the course as a whole: Work, Exchangeand Technology 7 Peopling Identity Course Themes Ideas, Beliefs, andCulture Politics and Power Environment and Geography Americain the World AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  22. Defining the Course Periods AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  23. Defining Key Concepts within Periods Period 5, Key Concept 5.1: The United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere and emerged as the destination for many migrants from other countries. • I. Enthusiasm for U.S. territorial expansion, fueled by economic and national security interests and supported by claims of U.S. racial and cultural superiority, resulted in war, the opening of new markets, acquisition of new territory, and increased ideological conflicts. (ID-2) (WXT-2) (WOR-6) (ENV-3) • A. The idea of Manifest Destiny, which asserted U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere and supported U.S. expansion westward, was built on a belief in white racial superiority and a sense of American cultural superiority, and helped to shape the era’s political debates. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  24. Defining Key Concepts within Periods Period 5, Key Concept 5.1: The United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere and emerged as the destination for many migrants from other countries. • I. Enthusiasm for U.S. territorial expansion, fueled by economic and national security interests and supported by claims of U.S. racial and cultural superiority, resulted in war, the opening of new markets, acquisition of new territory, and increased ideological conflicts. (ID-2) (WXT-2) (WOR-6) (ENV-3) • D. U.S. interest in expanding trade led to economic, diplomatic, and cultural initiatives westward to Asia. Teachers have flexibility to use examples such as the following: Clipper ships, Commodore Matthew Perry’s expedition to Japan, missionaries AP Exam questions will not ask students about the topics in the “gray boxes” AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  25. Focusing on Key Developments • 2.1.III: In teaching about British colonial development, teachers can choose to illustrate each region by focusing in depth on one colony from 3 regions, not the specifics of all 13 colonies • 4.1.II: Teachers can illustrate the growth of democratic and social idealism by focusing in depth on one or more antebellum reform movements, not every group, individual, or movement (Charles Finney, Brook Farm, Oneida Community, temperance movements…) • 7.1.II: Teachers can focus in depth on one or more pieces of federal legislation illustrating the Progressive desire to regulate corporate abuses and the economy, not all acts and agencies (e.g. Elkins Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, Federal Reserve Act…) • Emphasizing overarching patterns allows teachers to explore specific topics in depth with their students: AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  26. Defining Course Learning Objectives An overarching big idea for the course as a whole Theme Specific events in U.S. history where we can study this theme in context Key Concept Key Concept Key Concept Key Concept Ways that historians investigate and reason about this phenomenon Skill Statement about what students should know and be able to do to succeed on the AP Exam Learning Objective AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  27. Defining Course Learning Objectives Theme Identity • e.g., Period 5, Key Concept 5.1.I • Enthusiasm for U.S. territorial expansion, fueled by economic and national security interests and supported by claims of U.S. racial and cultural superiority, resulted in war, the opening of new markets, acquisition of new territory, and increased ideological conflicts. Key Concept Key Concept Key Concept Key Concept All AP Exam questions will now be based on these Learning Objectives. Skill Change and Continuity over Time • Students demonstrate understanding of ways that debates over national identity have changed over time. In particular, students can… Learning Objective AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  28. Defining Course Learning Objectives • Theme: Identity – First 3 Learning Objectives AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  29. Connections to Each Period Learning Objectives connect key concepts thematically across the different time periods of the course: Period 5, Key Concept 5.1: The United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere and emerged as the destination for many migrants from other countries. I. Enthusiasm for U.S. territorial expansion, fueled by economic and national security interests and supported by claims of U.S. racial and cultural superiority, resulted in war, the opening of new markets, acquisition of new territory, and increased ideological conflicts. A. The idea of Manifest Destiny, which asserted U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere and supported U.S. expansion westward, was built on a belief in white racial superiority and a sense of American cultural superiority, and helped to shape the era’s political debates. (ID-2) (WXT-2) (WOR-6) (ENV-3) AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  30. The AP USH Curriculum Framework AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  31. The Revised AP U.S. History Exam Design AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  32. Assessing the Learning Objectives In order to assess student understanding of the learning objectives, exam questions should… • Be designed to elicit student reasoning with the different historical thinking skills • Focus on student understanding of long-term, significant historical developments • Allow students flexibility in drawing on different historical examples to answer questions AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  33. AP History Exam Design • Multiple choice 35 minutes – 30%(36 questions, organized in sets of 2-6) • Short-answer question 50 minutes – 25%(4 short answer questions) • Document-based question 60 minutes – 25% • Long-essay question 35 minutes – 20% • Type, time and percentage of total AP Exam score • Each set is focused on one or more learning objectives • Each set is organized around the primary and secondary sources of U.S. history AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  34. Rethinking Multiple Choice Questions • The MCQ section will have approximately 36 questions total, accounting for 30% of the exam score and 35 minutes of exam time • Multiple-choice questions will appear in sets of 2-6 and ask students to analyze historical texts, interpretations, and evidence • Stimulus material will reflect the overarching course learning objectives • All different types of sources will be covered – primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, maps • No questions will solely reward “reading comprehension” AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  35. Draft MCQ Set: Stimulus • Learning Objective: ID-2 • Students can assess the impact of Manifest Destiny, territorial expansion, the Civil War, and industrialization on popular beliefs about progress and the national destiny of the United States in the 19th century Questions 1-3 refer to the following quotation.  “Our . . . destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. . . . The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on [California’s] borders. Already the advance guard of the irresistible army of Anglo-Saxon emigration has begun to pour down upon it, armed with the [plow] and the rifle, and marking its trail with schools and colleges, courts and representative halls, mills and meetinghouses. A population will soon be in actual occupation of California. . . . Their right to independence will be the natural right of self-government belonging to any community strong enough to maintain it.” – John L. O’Sullivan, 1845 • Key Concept: 5.1.I.A • The idea of Manifest Destiny, which asserted U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere and supported U.S. expansion westward, was built on a belief in white racial superiority and a sense of American cultural superiority, and helped to shape the era’s political debates. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  36. Draft MCQ Set: Questions • The ideas expressed in the passage above most clearly show the influence of which of the following? (A) Models of limited government inherent in the Articles of Confederation (B) Beliefs in separation of powers articulated in the United States Constitution (C) Concerns about foreign alliances expressed in George Washington’s Farewell Address (D) Concepts of republican self-rule found in the Declaration of Independence • The process described in the passage above most directly led to political controversies in the 1840s and 1850s over the (A) expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories (B) authority of the Supreme Court to overturn federal laws (C) role of the federal government in economic development (D) use of natural resources in newly acquired territories Skill: Historical Causation Skill: Historical Causation AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  37. Draft MCQ Set: Questions • Which of the following events in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries represents a continuation of the process described in the passage above? (A) Efforts to restrict immigration to the United States (B) The Supreme Court’s endorsement of racial segregation (C) The United States gaining possession of overseas territories (D) Political parties’ attempts to regulate economic activities Skill: Continuity/Change over Time AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  38. Students Reasoning Historically Student Participants in “Think Aloud” Study, March 2012 “I think this question was fairly difficult because you have to think about it in the sense of ongoing history and so you have to connect it to other events in history based on this quote too. … You have to break down that quote and then relate it to something in here.” “All these questions are like, you have to make the connection between that and other events in history. It’s not something you can just read a question and say oh, that’s definitely wrong. You have to think about what’s going on in the question so you have to – it requires a lot of thinking.” AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  39. Draft Question: Short Answer 4 questions per section; 50 minutes total • Learning Objective: ID-1 • Students can analyze how competing conceptions of national identity were expressed in the development of political institutions and cultural values from the late colonial through the antebellum periods • Historical Thinking Skill: • Periodization • United States historians have proposed various events to mark the beginning of an American identity. • A)Choose ONE of the events listed below, and explain why your choice best represents the beginning of an American identity. Provide at least ONE piece of evidence to support your explanation. • End of the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War) in 1763 • Signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 • Ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788 • B)Contrast your choice against ONE of the other options, demonstrating why that option is not as good as your choice. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  40. Draft Document-Based Question 1 question; 60 minutes • Learning Objective: PEO-3 • Analyze the causes and effects of major internal migration patterns such as urbanization, suburbanization, westward movement, and the Great Migration in the 19th and 20th centuries • Historical Thinking Skills: • Continuity/Change over Time • Argumentation • Use of Evidence • Synthesis Analyze major changes and continuities in the social and economic experiences of African Americans who migrated from the rural South to urban areas in the North in the period 1910-1930 AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  41. Draft Question: Long Essay Choice between 2 questions; 35 minutes Some historians have argued that the American Revolution created a distinct political identity in the United States, transforming what it meant to be an American. Support, modify, or refute this contention using specific evidence. • Learning Objective: ID-1 • Students can analyze how competing conceptions of national identity were expressed in the development of political institutions and cultural values from the late colonial through the antebellum periods. • Historical Thinking Skill: • Change and Continuity over Time AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  42. Early Teacher Reactions Knowing that… larger patterns, ideas, and themes will be tested helps me feel as though I have greater freedom to get into depth in areas of interest to the students and my personal expertise…I have always tried to do this in my current course, but now I will not feel the same rush to push through all of the content and in turn cut out some of those valuable skill development opportunities. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  43. Early Teacher Reactions I'm very excited about the new course.  I think the new course is both doable and will require teachers to get through the 20th century…I am also looking forward to the freedom (less prescription) that I am anticipating in the new test. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  44. Early Teacher Reactions I love the Curriculum Framework.  I believe this will be especially helpful for teachers just getting involved in the subject and will probably be well used by the consultants that conduct the AP trainings…[S]o many districts are cash-strapped, many teachers are being given AP teaching assignments with no real assistance... to me this makes the framework even more critical. AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  45. Teacher Support AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  46. Anticipated Teacher Support AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  47. Anticipated Teacher Support AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  48. Frequently Asked Questions AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  49. Frequently Asked Questions • Will the College Board help prepare administrators, parents , and the public for the revised course and exam? • What are textbook publishers doing in response to these changes? • Will there be enough exam questions for us to use to prepare our students? • My state requires that I teach certain content in my US History course. How will the AP US History course revisions affect me? • How do the changes to the AP US History course and exam align with the move toward Common Core State Standards? • How will AP Workshop and Summer Institute consultants be trained on the revised course and exam? AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

  50. Audience Q & A AP U.S. History Revisions - APAC 2012

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