Students in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) Class of 2012 continued to outperform Maryland and the nation on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations based on the "AP Report to the Nation" released by the College Board on February 20, 2013. In 2012, 67.3 percent of MCPS graduates took one or more AP exams. A striking…

This paper provides an overview of evidence-centered assessment design (ECD) and some general information about of the Advanced Placement (AP[R]) Program. Then the papers in this special issue are discussed, as they relate to the use of ECD in the revision of various AP tests. This paper concludes with some observations about the need to validate…

The cornerstone of evidence-centered assessment design (ECD) is an evidentiary argument that requires that each target of measurement (e.g., learning goal) for an assessment be expressed as a "claim" to be made about an examinee that is relevant to the specific purpose and audience(s) for the assessment. The "observable evidence" required to…

In most schools, the rush toward Advanced Placement (AP) courses goes on unabated. In 2006 the number of students taking AP exams increased almost 10 percent over the preceding year. This is largely because of the growing intensity of the admissions game and the urge on the part of college applicants to seek out every advantage. In applying to…

Providing high school students access to advanced coursework has long been considered an important means of preparing students for success after high school. This study merges data from College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) program for the 2003-2004 school year with data from the U.S. Department of Education for all U.S. public high schools to…

Reports on the 1994 English Advanced Placement Reading, an event which brought together 750 readers to provide accurate, efficient, and comfortable scoring of over 173,000 exams. (SR)

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers a promising strategy for promoting college success--one that will be most effective when students are prepared for rigorous coursework and when that coursework meets high standards. As Advanced Placement coursework emerges as an instrument of public policy, educators and policymakers need to understand…

Reports on the history of the Advanced Placement (AP) program, considering such issues as the program's initiation, changes within the program, its various problems, growth in Advanced Placement, and the program's reach overseas. (CMK)

Describes the six habits of mind fundamental to the study of history. Argues that a world history course must introduce students to the processes by which historians study the past. Provides suggestions for teaching the habits of mind through the proposed Advanced Placement (AP) world history course. (CMK)

Discusses the challenges facing teachers with the introduction of the Advanced Placement (AP) human geography course and offers solutions for each of the challenges. Highlights issues such as: offering this course when it does not fit the prescribed curriculum, how to encourage students to enroll, and finding textbooks. (CMK)

Demonstrates that Advanced Placement (AP) courses may not be appropriate for every student. Discusses the process of selecting students for AP U.S. history. Criteria include an application, summer sessions, and evidence of motivation to excel in the program. Considers the effects of this policy. (CMK)

Provides historical information on the Document-Based Question (DBQ) that has been a part of the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history examination since 1973. Focuses on the effects that DBQ had on course content and teaching methods. Addresses the new changes made with the redesign of the DBQ in 1982. (CMK)

Provides background information on the Document Based Question (DBQ) that is part of both the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. and European history examinations. Includes an example of the process involved in analyzing documents during the AP examination. Discusses teaching techniques that can be used for the DBQ with the purpose of improving student…

Argues that poor student performance on the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history examination is due to poor preparation for the exam and the misuse of the AP examination to measure teacher effectiveness and school quality. States that teaching methods must change to enable students to see the relationships among facts in history. (CMK)

Explores the development of the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history test and reviews its grading process for consistency and fairness. Examines the efforts taken to ensure compatibility with college-level U.S. history survey courses. (CMK)