Myth: Our District Has A Gifted and Talented Program: We Have AP Courses
While AP programs across the country have been beneficial to many students in offering rigorous courses where they may not have been offered before, and in providing a stepping stone for implementing K-8 gifted education programs, they are only one component of a complete and effective gifted education program. They lack the comprehensive, differentiated continuum of services necessary to meet the wide-ranging needs of gifted students. AP programs by themselves cannot substitute for gifted education services. They were designed to make college more accessible and appealing for high potential secondary students, offering college credit without college costs. While the classes are rigorous, the goal is not focused on maximizing potential. Many school districts are pressing nearly all their students, even those who are underprepared, to enroll in AP classes, creating concerns about teachers' ability to cover all the course materials necessary to perform well on the AP exams. Below is a list of resources about AP programs.
Breland, H., Maxey, J., Gernand, R., Cumming, T., & Trapani, C. (2002). Trends in college admissions: A report of a survey of undergraduate admissions policies, practices, and procedures. Tallahassee, FL: Association for Institutional Research.
Commission on the Future of the Advanced Placement Program. (2001). Access to excellence: A report of the Commission on the Future of the Advanced Placement program. New York: College Entrance Examination Board.
Dounay, J. (2006). (Policy brief:). High school: Advanced Placement. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
Espenshade, T., Hale, L., & Chung, C. (2005). The frog pond revisited: High school academic context, class rank, and elite college admission. Sociology of Education, 78, 269-293.
Furry, W. S., & Hecsh, J. (2001). Characteristics and performance of Advanced Placement classes in California. Sacramento, CA: California State University Institute for Education Reform.
Gallagher, S. A. (2009). Our evolving relationship with AP and IB. In F. Dixon (Ed.), Issues in secondary programs in gifted education (113-132). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Geiser, S., & Santelices, V. (2004). The role of Advanced Placement and honors courses in college admissions. Retrieved May 5, 2007, fromhttp://repositories.cdlib.org/cshe/CSHE-4-04/.
Hertberg-Davis, H., Callahan, C. M., & Kyburg, R. M. (2006). Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs: A "fit" for gifted learners? (RM06222). Storrs: University of Connecticut, National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.
Sadler, P. M., & Tai, R. H. (2001). Success in introductory college physics: The role of high school preparation. Science Education, 85, 111–136.
Vanderbrook, C. (2006). Intellectually gifted females and their perceptions of lived experience in the AP and IB programs. Journal for Secondary Gifted Education, 17, 5-20.