Chances are good that you have read or heard about the virtues of AP classes. AP, or Advanced Placement, might get your child college credit. Most likely, it won't. MOST of the students who take AP classes do not pass the AP test, so no college credit. Here's how it works:
Your child signs up for the school-year-long AP class, let's say AP English Language. Your child will have a LOT of work in this class. OK that's not bad, right? No problem. Your child gets an "A" in the class. Wait! That's not the end. He still has to take the AP test at the end of the school year. Passing the test with a score of 3, 4 or 5 will give college credit. Here in Florida, if he gets a 3, he will get credit for Freshman Composition 1, ENC1101. Great! In two college semesters he received the credit for ONE college class. Let's say he gets a 4 or 5. He will then get the college credit for ENC1101 and ENC1102 (Freshman Comp 2). So, in other words, in two college semesters he gets credit for two college classes. OK, Dual Enrollment can do that. And he would not have to pass ONE test to get the credit! Lets say your child takes AP English Language and does NOT get a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP test. Maybe your daughter woke up with cramps that day, or she is under the weather in some other way. Too bad, the test is the test. If your child takes the AP class and does NOT get a 3 or higher on the test, she does NOT get college credit. That's how it works.
Next scenario. She gets the credit for ENC1101 by taking AP English Language and getting a 3 on the AP test. Great! She could have done that in half the time, but no matter. The following year she is encouraged to take AP English Literature. She takes the course and again gets a 3 on the AP test. She then receives the credit for ENC1101. Wait! She already HAS that from her AP class last year. Oh well. No on told her, or YOU, the parent, that is the way it works. Now this is for Florida public colleges so I can't vouch for any other state or for any private colleges here in Florida.
Now lets say your child takes the Geography AP class. She receives a 3 on the test. Well, she gets a college class but some of the colleges do not offer it! In other words, she CAN get the credit for the class, but only if her college offers it!
All of the Floridians are now saying, "what about UF (University of Florida)?" UF likes to bill itself as the exclusive state university here in Florida. Well, in Florida, a state university can NO LONGER weigh AP classes higher than a Dual Enrollment class when considering applicants! Now, Dual Enrollment is given the same weight as AP classes both on high school transcripts and for consideration when applying to a university!
Did I mention that the tuition for Dual Enrollment is FREE here in Florida? In the above scenario the student took AP English Language and AP English Literature which would take the same amount of time as 4 college semesters and received ENC1101 for her effort!
Please feel free to e-mail or call, the number is on my school website www.preferredlearningacademy.com, for any clarification!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteYou can obtain AP exam scores by state at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_sum/2008.html as well as other reports at http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/ap/data.
An additional benefit of dual/concurrent enrollment programs is multiple assessment of students' skills over time allowing for a truer reflection of learning versus performance on a single exam.
NACEP (http://www.nacep.org) has national standards for dual/concurrent enrollment to help colleges/universities and states build strong programs.
Jerry Edmonds
Director, Syracuse University Project Advance
NACEP Past-President
Thank you for the information! I was the academic advisor for Dual Enrollment at our local Community College. My DDE kids outperformed the general college population. We are very proud of them!
ReplyDeleteYou know, My son recently completed his first dual enrollment class and he received a 4.0! However, we found home schooling really stilted his social deveopment he REALLY wanted to go to the new public school so we're sending him for 09-10. I told him we'd do that, but he either had to take another dual enrollment class or AP. He chose AP. So we'll see how he does on the test. I do think it's unfair to judge an ENTIRE school year by one test...but we'll have to wait & see. I will note however, that his dual enrollment credit will only be applied if the 4 year school offers the class. We considered switching to a college that did not have the class he got his credits in....so apparently this is true for Dual Enrollment as well (that the earned credits may not apply). I will report in about 9 months... Wish us luck!
ReplyDeletePS: Great website Karen, terrific info here. Thank you!
Fay Martin
Thanks Fay! The schools get money for each student in an AP class so they really push it. It doesn't matter if the student does not pass the AP test, they get the money for bodies in an AP class. The teacher gets money for each student in his class who passes the AP test up to a certain limit.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the Ap and the new school! At least you know that homeschooling is always an option if he decides to go back to it!