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New Developments in Advanced Placement (AP) and the Academic Policies Your Campus May Need to Review. Cathy Brigham, The College Board Barbara Smith, The University of Texas at San Antonio. Overview. Introductions of Presenters and Gathering a Sense of Attendees Gauge Awareness of AP
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New Developments in Advanced Placement (AP) and the Academic Policies Your Campus May Need to Review Cathy Brigham, The College Board Barbara Smith, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Overview • Introductions of Presenters and Gathering a Sense of Attendees • Gauge Awareness of AP • Review Changes in AP • One institution’s experience with AP • Best practices for establishing credit policy • Questions • Next Steps
Introductions • Who we are? • Who’s in the audience? • Who’s familiar with AP? Knows nothing about AP? • Who knows their institutions AP policies? • Who’s responsible for reviewing and changing institutional AP polices?
Awareness of AP • Key Stakeholders • Provost • Department Chairs • Faculty • Advisors • Students • High Schools
Awareness of AP • Is information concerning AP credit easily accessible • Are cut off scores clearly defined
Two Major Developments in AP • Re-design of all AP courses and exams • Re-design launched in 2011 • Began with lab sciences, languages, histories • Retiring and replacing AP Physics B (2014) • Launching a new AP Computer Science Principles (2016) • Launch of new AP Capstone program
AP Course & Exam Redesign As part of our commitment to continually enhance alignment with current practices in college-level learning, the AP Program is evaluating and redesigning courses and exams. • Begins with courses and exams in world language, history, and science subjects • Represents a collaboration among college faculty, AP teachers, and learning and assessment specialists • Is designed to meet colleges’ expectations of student outcomes for the comparable college course
Key Components of the Revised APCourses and Exams • Curricula, modeled upon introductory college courses, that strike a balance between breadth of content coverage and depth of understanding • Greater emphasis on critical thinking, inquiry, reasoning, and communication • Standards informed by: • Recommendations of researchers and national disciplinary organizations • Results of curriculum studies conducted at four-year institutions • Leading pedagogical and measurement practices
College Faculty Are Involved inEvery Aspect of AP On an annual basis, more than 5,000 college faculty participate in AP. Exam scoring AP Course Audit Course & exam content Standards alignment Professional development Curriculum studies Curriculum frameworks Question writing and review Exam scoring as Chief Readers and Readers Comparability studies Standard setting studies Pilot draft exam questions AP teacher training AP and pre-AP strategies workshops for teachers AP teacher syllabus evaluations
Curriculum Framework Development Discover Develop Validate Curriculum studies, research, and recommendations are collected A curriculum framework is drafted The curriculum framework is reviewed and verified 4-year colleges & universities 50+ college department chairs Academic organizations Committee of college faculty & AP teachers 50+ AP teachers Panels of subject-matter experts
Exam Development Define Align Achievement expectations are defined by the specific knowledge and skills required to earn each exam score. Two studies are conducted to establish standards and inform cut scores for the relevant AP Exam. Standard setting College comparability Exam questions are reviewed against achievement expectations to set raw scores for the overall exam. Portions of an AP Exam are administered to students in the related college course; student AP scores are correlated to their final course grades. Committees of teachers & college faculty who teach comparable college/AP courses A panel of15 college faculty& AP teachers College faculty from the panel and their students
New Program: AP | Cambridge Capstone Program and Credential • AP and Cambridge International Examinations have collaborated to create an innovative secondary education program that gives students an opportunity to practice investigative, analytical, and research skills in an interdisciplinary context. • The two-year program is designed to complement the in-depth subject-matter study provided through AP courses and exams. • A pilot of the new program began in fall 2012.
Program Goals The AP | Cambridge Capstone Program aims provide the opportunity to practice: • Disciplined and scholarly research skills • A critical, questioning approach to information • Self-reflection and independent thought • An understanding of, and engagement with, key global issues • Awareness, understanding, and respect for the diversity of perspectives
Curriculum Structure and Credential Requirements • To qualify for the AP | Cambridge Capstone Credential, students must: • Earn qualifying scores on the Seminar Course and Research Project Assessments • Earn scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams Research Project Research Project Year Two Year Two Essay (4500-5000 words) 10th -12th Grade Any Year of HS Seminar Course Seminar Course Year One Year One Written Exam Individual Presentation Team Project
Development of Research and Inquiry Skills Is Central to both Courses Students engage in multiple iterations of the Critical Path, a teaching and learning process. Reconstruction Identification & evaluation of evidence for and against competing points of view. Deconstruction Detailed analysis of a point of view. ReflectionAssess the impact of research on personal perspectives. Communication Communicate views, information and research effectively and convincingly.
Status of the AP | Cambridge Capstone Pilot Seventeen schools in the United States and abroad are piloting the program, beginning in fall 2012 Fall 2012 August 2013 Fall 2013 August 2014 Cohort 1: Students begin the Seminar Course. Cohort 1: Score reports for the Seminar Course are sent to designated colleges. Cohort 1: Students begin the Research Project. Transcripts that include Capstone information are included with student applications. Cohort 2: Students begin the Seminar Course. Cohort 1: The first AP | Cambridge Credentials are issued to colleges, along with score reports for the Research Project. Cohort 2: Score reports for the Seminar Course are sent to designated colleges.
University Review Process • Collaboration between Academic Advising, Testing Services and Academic Departments • Testing Services obtains and provides for each of the AP courses which is shared with Department Chairs • Department Chairs determine course equivalent • “Cut off” scores are determined by department faculty consensus
University Review Process • Reviewed and Updated Yearly • Reflected on Testing Services Website (Slide) • University Catalog (Slide)
University Review Process • Awarding of the credit • Students have option to accept credit
Question Does anyone in the audience represent a campus that has conducted a validity study around AP?
Vision for an Ideal Model:AP Policy Review • Reviewed by Academic Departments • Begin Accepting Credits or Increase number of courses awarded for AP scores
Question What is your institution doing that we haven’t covered in this presentation? What works? What doesn’t work, and, others should avoid?
UTSA AP Policy • Typically accept if score of 3 or better is obtained • Various disciplines • A policy set to better recruit and serve underserved, first-generation students • Tied to the institutional mission • Promote the acceptance of AP credits at HS Counselor Updates
How an Annual Review of AP Policy Can Impact Your Students • Gets faculty more involved / more informed • Campus policy stays abreast of the ongoing changes within AP • Create an opportunity to have a campus conversation about perceived bias • Share perceptions, but also share data
Five Evidence-Based Claims about AP • AP students perform well in related subsequent courses. • AP students are more likely to graduate within five years. • AP students are more likely to major in their AP subject or a related discipline. • AP students generally take more credit hours in the discipline in which they took their AP Exam, and in college overall, than non-AP students. • In general, AP students perform as well as or better than students in dual enrollment. 32 [Enter Presentation Title in Header and Footer]
AP Students Who Earn a 3+ Perform Well in Subsequent Courses in the Discipline. These students perform as well as or better than non-AP students – even after controlling for prior achievement. Adapted from Morgan & Klaric, 2007
AP Students Tend to Take More Courses in Their Exam Subject Area Once in College
The correlation between AP Exam and major is particularly strong for STEM subjects. Adapted from Mattern, Shaw, & Ewing, 2011
Traditionally underrepresented students who take AP Exams in some STEM subjects tend to major in these subjects. AP students who chose major Students taking the intro course who chose major Adapted from Morgan & Klaric, 2007
Correlation Between AP and College Major is Particularly Strong for Multiple Exam Takers Adapted from Mattern, Shaw, & Ewing, 2011
Students Who Earn Credit for AP Tend to Earn Higher Fourth-Year GPAs than Non-AP Students Adapted from Hargrove, Godin, & Dodd, 2008
AP Is an Indicator of Successful Degree Completion Increased probability of college graduation compared to students not participating in AP Adapted from Dougherty, Mellor and Jian, 2006
Next Steps: AP Policy Review as Advocacy • How to advocate for continual review of AP policies – based in data • How to promote the possible impact of AP policies on underserved populations • Who should be involved? Who needs to be persuaded?
Next Steps: AP Re-design • Determine what cycle of review is right for your campus • Consider who should be a part of the process • Schedule the review cycle in conjunction with print deadlines for your academic catalog • Contact the College Board for your most recent AP Score Send report • Visit the College Board website for recent research related to AP participation and academic success
Next Steps: AP Capstone • Inform recruiters, registrars, and admission officers about the program. • Recognize successful Capstone students for their achievement. • Sign on to the statement of support for the program or provide your own statement: visit www.collegeboard.org/capstone. • Plan for how you will consider the program from an admissions perspective and what credit or placement will you offer for students who complete.
Over 100 Institutions Have Endorsed Capstone • Boston University • Brown University • Bryn Mawr College • Bucknell University • Carnegie Mellon University • Claremont McKenna College • Clemson University • College of William & Mary • Columbia University • Duke University • Florida Atlantic University • Florida Gulf Coast University • Florida International University • Florida State University • Georgetown University • Georgia Institute of Technology • Harvard University • Hofstra University • Jacksonville University • Johns Hopkins University • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Millersville University • New York Institute of Technology • New York University • North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University • Old Dominion University • Pennsylvania State University • Pitzer College • Purdue University • Salem College • Salisbury University • Sarah Lawrence College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • St. Olaf College • Stephen F. Austin State University • Stetson University • Susquehanna University • Syracuse University • Texas A&M University - College Station • Texas A&M International University • Texas Southern University • Texas State University - San Marcos • Towson University • Trinity Washington University • Tulane University • Union College (KY) • University at Buffalo, State University of New York • University of Alberta • University of Arkansas • University of Baltimore • University of British Columbia • University of California, Berkeley • University of Central Florida • University of Chicago • University of Delaware • University of Florida • University of Georgia • University of Houston • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • University of Maryland, College Park • University of Miami • University of Michigan • University of Minnesota - Twin Cities • University of New Mexico at Albuquerque • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • University of North Florida • University of North Texas at Dallas • University of Pennsylvania • University of Rochester • University of South Carolina • University of South Florida • University of Southern California • University of St. Thomas (TX) • University of Texas at Austin • University of Virginia • University of Washington • Villanova University • Washington & Jefferson College • Widener University • Yale University