{"id":3721,"date":"2020-10-13T15:05:53","date_gmt":"2020-10-13T19:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardinalnewmansociety.org\/?p=3721"},"modified":"2021-09-16T22:21:29","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T02:21:29","slug":"analysis-of-advanced-placement-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardinalnewmansociety.org\/analysis-of-advanced-placement-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Analysis of Advanced Placement Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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The following is part of The Cardinal Newman Society\u2019s series of analyses of secular materials and programs used in Catholic education. Such materials and programs must be carefully evaluated to determine if their underlying philosophy, content, and activities are aligned to the mission of Catholic education and, if used, what adaptations might be needed.<\/p>\r\n

The Newman Society\u2019s \u201cPolicy Guidance Related to Secular Materials and Programs in Catholic Education<\/a>\u201d offers a framework for such evaluation and is the basis for this particular analysis.<\/p>\r\n

Overview<\/h2>\r\n

The College Board currently has 38 Advanced Placement (AP) Courses for schools to choose from,[1]<\/sup><\/a> leading to exams in May. Some colleges will award credit toward an undergraduate degree if a student\u2019s exam score is high enough.<\/p>\r\n

The benefits of AP courses are sometimes exaggerated. College credit for a good exam score is not guaranteed and eighty-six percent (86%) of the top 153 U.S. colleges ranked by U.S. News and World Report<\/em> restrict the credit awarded.[2]<\/sup><\/a> Additionally, research suggests there is no correlation between taking AP courses and success in college.[3]<\/sup><\/a> And students can sit for the exams without ever taking an approved course.<\/p>\r\n

Nevertheless, some educators and parents are attracted to potential college savings and the rigor of AP courses, which suggests academic seriousness. The academic value deserves to be scrutinized: while the workload is heavy and the amount of information is often very large in AP courses, this emphasis may not allow much time for valuable classroom dialogue and critical analysis of the material. Students and teachers may have little time to focus on cultivating good habits of judgment and reasoning. AP course emphasis on skill development or memorization may prevent substantial integration of Catholic teaching, culture, worldview, and anthropology.<\/p>\r\n

To carry the AP label, a course must meet the College Board\u2019s institutional standards\u2014especially the inclusion of a host of names, dates, concepts, events, and critical skill sets\u2014but there is flexibility with instructional approaches and content selection. If a Catholic educator plans judiciously and carefully, it is possible to infuse an AP course with material and approaches to conform it to the mission of Catholic education. A school should carefully monitor whether this supplementary teaching is sufficient for a serious Catholic education, which demands substantial effort.<\/p>\r\n

Recommendations<\/h2>\r\n