Do AP tests make the grade?

Illustration by Mark Brincefield, Salisbury Post

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Luther

Graphic by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post

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Meredith

By Sarah Campbell

scampbell@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Joel Luther signed up for Advanced Placement classes to earn college credit and save money by skipping introductory college courses.

But the South Rowan valedictorian said the extra reading and writing required in AP classes got overwhelming.

He ended up dropping one of his AP classes during his junior year.

“With the other rigorous classes I was taking and the many clubs and extracurricular I was involved in, I simply could not handle the added pressure of that particular class,” he said.

Still, Luther completed eight AP classes and landed an acceptance letter to Duke University.

And he said the extra work was well worth it.

“AP classes demand a level of rigor and discipline that prepares students for the challenges of college academics,” he said. “They lead to a greater depth of understanding of the course material and instill crucial time management skills.”

This year, nearly 600 students in the Rowan-Salisbury School System enrolled in AP classes.

Some took the courses hoping to boost their GPAs. Students can earn up to six quality points in Advanced Placement classes, a point higher than honors classes.

Others hoped to land college credit to bypass some of financial burden of higher education.

And some simply wanted a challenge.

School officials say AP classes benefit students regardless of the reason they sign up.

“The real upside is, every time you earn college credit,” said Kathy McDuffie, the district’s director of secondary education. “The more rigorous course load also gives students exposure to what it’s like in college.”

McDuffie said another perk is the extra support high school teachers offer their students.

“In college when the professors give the material to you, it’s usually either sink or swim,” she said.

AP advantages

Luther said the AP courses he took were more engaging than regular classes.

“The discussions and debates were often more intellectually stimulating and kept my interest,” he said. “AP classes teach you to think, work and write at a college level well before you arrive at college, giving you an advantage over students who may not be as well prepared.”

Emily Peeler, a recent Carson High grad, said she feels the nine AP classes she took will give her an edge.

“I definitely feel better prepared for college by taking AP classes and I am excited to be studying at N.C. State next year,” she said.

Matt Stevenson, a 2007 South Rowan alumnus who graduated from N.C. State this spring, said taking AP calculus and government gave him a taste of what was to come at State.

“The classes forced me to learn time management skills and prepare myself for college classes,” he said. “South Rowan’s AP teachers held the same high standards that college professors hold for you.”

Leah Robinson, a 2009 South Rowan grad and a chemistry major at Lander University in South Carolina, said she reaped financial benefits by doing well in her four AP classes.

“The GPA boost that these classes gave me not only helped with my college application process but also with receiving scholarships as well as financial aid and ultimately, in my case, resulted in an out-of state-abatement,” she said.

Robinson said the abatement allowed her to pay in-state tuition, saving her $24,000 on her education.

Earning college credit in high school can also reduce the length of time a student spends in college.

“We regularly see students come to us at orientation as sophomores,” said Dave Meredith, senior assistant director of admissions for UNC Chapel Hill,

He said that could give students the flexibility to study abroad or pick up another major or minor.

AP overload?

Despite the benefits of taking AP classes, some students felt the same pressures Luther did.

“It was very difficult sometimes with several AP classes at once as well as many other activities. It was easy to become stressed out and feel overwhelmed,” Peeler said. “During my junior and senior years I did not always get much sleep ...”

It became a bit of a juggling act for Joel Brittain, a recent West Rowan graduate, when he ended up with four AP classes in one semester during tennis season.

“Practice every day followed by four AP classes worth of work could get difficult,” he said. “All in all though, I was never depressed or completely overwhelmed by it.”

As the saxophone section leader in the marching band, chemistry tutor and active participant in her church youth group and school clubs, Robinson said she had to master time management skills to handle her AP course load.

“At times I did feel like I was a little over my head, but it was never more than anyone could handle,” she said. “In my opinion, students now are not used to giving their full potential and becoming the exceptional person they are capable of becoming.”

Passing the test

In order to receive college credit for an AP class students generally must score a 3 or higher on the exam administered by the College Board.

More than 1,000 tests were taken in the Rowan-Salisbury district during 2010, with 41 percent of students earning at least a 3 on the test.

The school system requires all students to take the exam to receive AP credit for the class. If a student doesn’t take the test, they receive honors credit instead.

“I would say 99.5 percent of students take the test,” McDuffie said.

The College Board charges $87 per test, a fee that is not covered by the school system.

Statewide, more than 80,700 students took the tests, with an average of 58 percent scoring a 3 or higher.

In Rowan County, Salisbury High School had the largest number of tests taken in 2010 at 255. Fifty-nine percent of those students scored a 3 or higher.

Forty-three tests were taken at South Rowan in 2010, with 67 percent of students earning at least a 3.

North Rowan had the lowest percentage of students score a 3 or higher at 16 percent. More than 100 tests were administered at the school that year.

Skylar Stamey, a 2010 graduate of South Rowan High and a student at North Carolina State University, said he’s noticed the trend of students not “passing” the exam to earn college credit.

“Many students only take AP classes to boost their GPA and only work toward getting a good grade in the class,” he said.

Stamey said test scores would likely be higher if teachers geared the class specifically to the test.

“Unfortunately, taking an entire course only for one test score does not work as much toward overall education, which is much more helpful in general,” he said. “AP classes are great but are somewhat stuck in a limbo between the scores and the knowledge.”

Stamey took five AP classes at South and received credit for two. “In my opinion AP classes are helpful even when students do poorly on the test because the students had to work for their class grade,” he said.

College prep

Brittain said he did not receive college credit for the three AP classes he took his junior year. He’s still waiting for results from the five he completed this year.

“The benefits I see in taking a lot of AP classes is preparing yourself for college and keeping yourself busy,” he said. “I’ve noticed that my peers who show less focus on the classes they take are more likely to use drugs and make other poor decisions in their large amount of free time.”

Brittain said he took AP courses to ensure his acceptance to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Meredith, the school’s senior assistant director of admissions, said with a competitive applicant pool, students with a more rigorous course load that includes AP classes are more likely to stand out.

Meredith said students who complete AP classes show a willingness to step outside their comfort zones.

“If a student turns in a bunch of sort of mediocre scores like 1s and 2s on the AP exams I give them the sort of mental benefit, but in the back of my mind I think their scores aren’t that good,” he said. “But if that’s all a kid could do, at least I know they pushed themselves.

“Any college that is looking at a transcript beyond the GPA is going to value a student who pushes themselves.”

McDuffie said AP teachers are taking steps to improve test scores by offering study sessions after school and over the weekend.

She said environmental science teachers from every school worked together this year to host the first Saturday study session at Carson High. The all-day event had more than 60 students moving from station to station, working with teachers to sharpen their knowledge.

College admission

Meredith said a strong schedule is important for admission to college.

“All things considered, I’d rather take a kid with a B in an AP course than an A in a regular course,” he said. “I know any selective university is going to feel the exact same way.

“They are all going to say we want a student taking a demanding curriculum because when they get to college all the classes are AP.”

Meredith said he would encourage students to find out about the admission criteria at the colleges where they are applying.

“Some schools might say one or two AP classes is good enough while others might want three or four,” he said. “Don’t assume that everybody is Carolina. ... There are a lot of schools where one or two AP classes is enough.”

Meredith said he also recommends students take AP classes in subjects where they feel confident.

“I think most students are capable of doing AP courses, especially if they pick their favorite subject, the one they love the most,” he said.

McDuffie said although students are encouraged to take the higher-level classes, they also need to figure out a way to strike a balance.

“Colleges are looking for well-rounded students,” she said. “If the only thing they are doing is taking AP classes because the work is so hard they can’t do anything else, then that’s not beneficial.”

Contact reporter Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.