In education circles, there is much controversy over whether Advanced Placement (AP) classes should be offered in high schools; some believe that such classes limit what skills can be learned in a course, while others feel that they provide the necessary structure to ensure students’ command over content and college readiness. According to the Sidwell Friends website, in June 2018, Sidwell “joined with seven other local independent schools to begin the process of replacing Advanced Placement courses with more relevant, challenging, mission-driven offerings that will be designed by its own teaching faculty.” Many Sidwell students have since posed the question of whether Sidwell should bring back AP course offerings.
Overall, Sidwell should bring back AP classes to encourage students to take AP exams and thus display their mastery of course material. This does not require significant alterations to Sidwell’s curriculum, which constructively emphasizes creative thinking and problem-solving, but rather would further integrate standardized AP curriculum into pre-existing lessons.
Currently, students who choose to take AP exams have to partake in additional study separate from class time, as many Sidwell courses differ from APs and exclude important material. This greatly increases student stress and anxiety as many who desire to take AP exams are forced to spend hours outside of school preparing for them. However, with the reintroduction of AP courses, students would be sufficiently prepared by their classes for these exams, making the process of self-study a much easier task.
Furthermore, many universities positively regard students who score well on AP exams, and Sidwell’s reinstitution of an “AP-centered” curriculum would allow students to display their abilities to colleges. The opportunity to get credit for college courses from a high AP exam score would allow motivated students to advance quicker throughout university and delve deeper into their field of choice. Additionally, performing well in AP classes and on exams would also allow students to access certain merit-based scholarships and financial aid.
In addition to the future educational advantages of the tests, taking the AP exam at the end of the school year would prompt students to review what they have learned throughout the year, giving them stronger command and retention of the material. AP exams also give students a realistic idea of what to expect from their field of interest in college. Sidwell can still encourage students to be self-driven and independent learners by integrating enrichment and assigning self-study within a course curriculum and fostering an environment where the joy of learning and inquiry prevails. Hence, if Sidwell blended the AP curriculum with enrichment to build valuable problem-solving skills and challenge students, it would be beneficial to the student body as a whole.
Therefore, Sidwell should bring back AP classes to inspire students to take the subsequent AP exams. In doing so, students will exhibit their understanding of course material to top colleges and universities. This, however, does not mean Sidwell should completely change its current curriculum, but rather that it should incorporate more AP courses into the current class offerings. Therefore, students who want to take AP exams will not have to study as much outside from class time and will be better prepared to apply to and attend college.
