Discussed is the value of using essays and other popular writings as supplemental material for advanced placement biology courses. Their value as motivators and as views of the everyday work of scientists is stressed. (CW)

Assessment reforms might fail because high stakes will be attached to them too soon, judgments will be unreliable, and lawsuits will occur. Educators need to consider technical issues including score reliability, task validity, portfolio sampling, and generalizability problems. U.S. schools would improve considerably if national Advanced Placement…

A high school teacher at an inner-city school characterized by a multiethnic student population discusses his Advanced Placement (AP) European History course, an option in the school's PACE (Program for Additional Curricular Activities) program. Teaching strategies leading to the students' high performances on the AP exam are identified. (DB)

Argues that students lack an understanding of how research is done. Proposes a science exercise that provides authentic research experience for ninth-grade students in an advanced-placement chemistry class. (CCM)

This longitudinal cohort study followed students admitted to Saint Louis University (Missouri) with and without credits from either the university's dual credit program for high school students or the Advanced Placement Testing Program. Analysis indicated both programs significantly influenced students' ability to persist and graduate but did not…

Discusses changing concepts of important topics in teaching history--away from a "political/diplomatic" approach to a "social history" approach that includes broader topics, such as urbanization, shifts in social structures and classes, and crime and resistance. Shows evidence of this shift in content requirements, tests of Advanced-Placement…

Distressed with their district's lackluster performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, staff at Oklahoma City Schools reviewed the program and decided the curriculum was not challenging or motivating enough for students. They then developed and implemented a vastly improved AP program initiative that provided teacher incentives, staff…

Introduces a project incorporating creative writing and advanced placement chemistry. Uses texts and laboratory experiments for the basis of the writing assignments. (YDS)

Describes how veteran teacher Joan Vinson has made Advanced Placement (AP) a "cool thing to do" for minority students. With the help of private funding and a Texas-size enthusiasm, she is also convincing more teachers to take on the AP challenge, with a focus on quality over quantity. (EV)

For over a decade, the authors have been involved in a design theory experiment providing software for high school students preparing for the descriptive question on the Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry examination. Since 1997, the software has been available as a Web site offering repeatable practice. This study describes a 4-year project during…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance," which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs," provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland public school, including…

In a more consistent and viable manner than ever before, education in Alabama is moving toward its ultimate goal of providing every student with a quality education, thereby preparing them for work, college, and life after high school. Alabama's graduation rates from 2002 to 2008 increased significantly, tripling the national average increase and…

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…

This document was designed to inform members of the policy, education, and research communities about existing state and institutional policies and practices associated with four accelerated learning programs: Advanced Placement (AP), dual/concurrent enrollment, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, and Tech-Prep. This effort was…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…