Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Virginia rises in school assessment
High school seniors in Virginia have placed third in the nation’s ranking of Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in 2007, rising from the state’s previous fourth-place position.
The Advanced Placement Program is made up of rigorous official courses with a national curriculum and a national assessment. The college-level courses, offered to high school students by the College Board, require an intensive amount of work, culminating in AP exams offered in the spring.
Fauquier County schools offer most of the AP courses, but must have an adequate number of students to participate in each. Offered courses that lack sufficient enrollment can be taken by students through The Virtual Advanced Placement School.
While mostly seniors take the courses, some sophomores and juniors are encouraged to participate. School administrators require that all students who take AP courses, regardless of grade level, must take the exam. The latest school system figures show that there is a 43 percent passage rate of all AP students in the county taking 12 of the high-enrollment classes.. The school district’s goal is a 50 percent passage rate for all AP courses offered.
More students are taking the AP exams. The Virginia Department of Education released figures showing that “the number of Virginia high school public high school students who took at least one AP test increased by 11.3 percent in 2007.” Those who received a score of 3 or above increased by 12.3 percent.
Education Week, in reviewing national statistics, noted that as overall participation in AP exams has increased 25 percent in the last four years, those receiving the score of 3 and above has slipped from 60 to 57 percent. College Board representatives observed that “as participation grows, scores go down.”
Sandra Mitchell, Fauquier's assistant superintendent for instruction, said that the county’s passage rate is probably lower than in 2003, but at that time the school district didn’t require all AP students to take the exam. Since that time, the number of students taking the exam has increased 300 percent, from 270 test takers to 960 last year.
Mitchell is optimistic about student success due to dedicated teachers, College Board training, alignment of teaching with curriculum, and high expectations for students.
“When you raise expectations, students will rise to it,” she said.
E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.