Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes in high schools across the United States have given students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school, and they are a way of encouraging students who are bored in their regular classes. However, there is a negative side to AP and IB classes that is often overshadowed by districts’ push to have more high school students enter these programs. AP and IB classes are not always a positive experience when they evoke negative stereotypes, increase workload, and can be replaced with better options.
Negative Stereotypes Evoked
Students who are currently involved with an AP or IB program have said that their classes provoke negative stereotypes. In an article for the 2009 Summer edition of Adolescence titled “Students’, perception of the non-academic advantages and disadvantages of participation in Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate programs,” CM Callahan, RC Foust, and H. Hertberg-Davis explain that these students have experienced that they are prejudged, by their peers, as geeks. Their friends that take regular classes place a stigma on them, saying that they cannot act a certain way nor have fun because they are a part of the AP or IB program. This leaves students who are working hard feeling upset about the course they have chosen. AP and IB classes are intended to hold students to a higher level, and the workload is often increased greatly from regular courses to advanced ones.
However, this is not always the best way to increase a student’s knowledge of a specific area. By increasing the workload, it directly decreases the time that students have for extracurricular activities. Many students, when interviewed, explained to Callahan, Foust, and Hertberg-Davis, “that they needed to use every spare moment — during lunch, during non-AP or non-IB classes, and outside of school — to finish their work.” School is not intended to place students in a situation where they are unable to finish the work they are assigned because the amount is too great.
Moving too Quickly
Not only does workload interfere with students’ lives outside of the classroom, but it also creates an undesirable learning environment inside of the classroom. In this environment students are encouraged to move quickly and not ask questions. Lawrence Weschler, director of the New York Institute of the Humanities explains in Marcia Clemmitt’s article “AP and IB Programs” of the 2006 edition of Issues in K-12 Education: Selections from CQ Researcher that in his daughter’s AP European History class “the kids got very involved in the causes of World War I and wanted to talk about it, but the teacher said they couldn’t because they had to move on and cover all the material for the test.” The idea of teaching directly to the test is one that creates a heavy workload, and encourages students to cram instead of understand the material.
Other Options
While AP and IB might seem like the best option for students, there are others that are more encouraging. Like most things in life, AP classes are expensive, but there are other options available that would decrease cost and be more effective for students. According to an article by Kirk A. Johnson, Senior Policy Analyst for the Heritage Foundation referenced by Clemmitt, “Classes similar to those in AP programs can be found at virtually all of the nearly 2,100 community colleges and state universities across America.” By taking advantage of these courses offered at colleges, students would be able to save money and earn credits while finishing high school. They would be able to gain a better understanding of the expectations of college courses, and be on the right track towards a college degree.
In all, AP and IB classes for high school students can be a method of encouraging students to learn, but they can also have negative side effects, and may not always be the right option for every student.
Kimberly Podolsky - I am currently a student studying English at Millersville University in Lancaster, PA. When I am not studying or writing, I enjoy spending ...
