A new approach to the teaching of European history is being implemented in Advanced Placement secondary classes. In the latter 1950's a Committee of Examiners composed of European history professors and secondary teachers formulated a course description comprised of a brief outline of an introductory survey in European history. It was organized…

Discussed is the advanced Placement Program in Studio Art, which provides an opportunity for students with above average abilities in art to receive credit for their work in the college or art school of their choice while still in high school. (Author/RK)

Ten years have passed since the original proposal was written to establish Advanced Placement Studio Art and History of Art as one of the 13 College Board AP disciplines. This review includes examples of AP high school students' work. (Author/LBH)

Describes a multiyear program in the Jacksonville (FL) schools that identifies high achieving students during elementary school and grooms them, through special advanced classes and summer programs, to work toward achieving high scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test in high school. The program has increased student achievement and the number of…

Determined high school sophomores are desirable candidates for advanced placement European history courses. One high school's experience in implementing such a program is discussed. (RM)

Discusses two factors to consider when initiating advanced placement (AP) chemistry, namely, the quality of those teaching the program and the time necessary to teach the relevant concepts. Suggests offering laboratory sessions during evening hours as an alternative to traditional daytime arrangements for laboratory blocks. (JN)

Describes a reading-skill-building curriculum that prepares students to handle the reading in the Advanced Placement Spanish Literature course, a course that treats the works of Borges, Garcia Lorca, Matute, Neruda, and Unamuno. Suggests techniques and texts that aid in the teaching of these skills. (SED)

Answers and justifications for an interesting problem on the Advanced Placement Calculus AB Examination are discussed. The problem provides diverse ways in which students can gain appreciation and understanding for the subject. (MNS)

""The Achiever" is a monthly newsletter designed expressly for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) $17 Million Awarded in Advanced Placement Grants; (2) After the Storm: New Orleans School Maintains High Standard…

This study examines the role of Advanced Placement (AP) and other honors-level courses as a criterion for admission at a leading public university, the University of California, and finds that the number of AP and honors courses taken in high school bears little or no relationship to students' later performance in college. AP is increasingly…

In week-long semesters in the summers of 1997, 1998, and 1999, the 6APT (Summer Institute in Computer Science for Advanced Placement Teachers) project taught 240 high school teachers of Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) about gender equity in computers. Teachers were then followed through 2000. Results indicated that while teachers, did…

The study reported in this document examined the relationship between block scheduling (class periods longer than 50 minutes) and overall student performance. Performance was measured in terms of dropout rates, grade-level retention rates, campus-level results for the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, and participation in and performance on…

States increasingly are offering high school students the opportunity to take postsecondary courses for reasons that range from academic to economic. Some states allow students to earn postsecondary credit for postsecondary classes while others do not. In some states, school districts pay the costs of such courses or the tuition is paid from a…

Nontraditional methods of instructional delivery at the postsecondary level, such as Technology based distance education course offerings, have been a topic of considerable attention and debate. To date, however, no nationally representative study has examined technology based distance education availability, course offerings, and enrollments in…

Discusses early admissions programs to college work and the guidelines of the admissions process. (Author/RK)