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Tuesday, March 15, 2005
AP Confusion in DeKalb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What to make of the AP situation in DeKalb?
Some DeKalb high schools switched this year to a 4 X 4 block schedule, which means students take four courses in the fall and four different courses in the spring. District officials came up with a creative way to make sure Advanced Placement courses ended in the spring just before AP exams. (Students who do well on the exams can earn college credit.)
Administrators instructed teachers to pair the AP course with a “dummy course” and to give the student the same grade in the dummy course as in the AP course. This has caused a myriad of transcript problems and confusion, as well as questions of ethical violations. Superintendent Crawford Lewis is trying to sort it all out.
So am I. I know other schools have lamented the challenge of teaching complex courses such as AP Biology during one semester, even though class time is extended to 90 minutes. But I have never heard of extending the AP course into two semesters, which greatly increases the amount of seat time students devote to the class.
AP teachers, parents and students in other districts with 4 X 4 block schedules, how does your district handle AP classes?
