The College Board recently published its 2009 Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, which includes information on AP participation and performance by state.
In Oregon last year, 13% of all graduating seniors passed one or more Advanced Placement exams with a score of 3 or higher.
In Corbett, 13% of graduating seniors passed an average of 9.7 AP exams. 13% had passing scores in AP Calculus(ab), AP Calculus(bc) and AP Statistics. (not either or, but all three). 17% scored a 5 on at least one exam. 40% were AP Scholars. 60% passed at least one exam.
What about our juniors? 13% passed and average of 4.9 exams. 13% posted a score of 4 or higher on at least one exam. 14% were AP scholars. 32% passed at least one AP exam.
Sophomores? 14% passed at least one AP exam with a score of 4 or 5. 25% passed one or more exams with a score of 3 or better, nearly doubling the statewide rate for seniors! For the first time in three years, there were no AP Scholars among Corbett's 10th graders. That bears watching.
What about our TAG students? What about those 8% (according to OATAG) that are gifted or talented in one or another area? They were there. Right in the mix. They were working right along with those who weren't identified. And by all appearances, their performance was not hampered by the lack of an isolated program. Unless one wants to argue that passing from 6 to 13 AP exams represents a stunted effort, our TAG kids seemed to be just fine in spite of being in the company of non-TAG students. 8% of our graduating seniors passed an average of 10 AP exams each prior to graduation. All would have had the option to start college as sophomores had they selected colleges based on 'AP friendliness'. Some did. Others are taking full advantage of four years of access to some of the finest colleges and universities in the country.
Corbett pays for every AP exam taken by its students. The return on that investment is phenomenal, and it makes access to AP thoroughly democratic. At Corbett we don't pay much attention to who is and isn't gifted. Our gifted students are fine with that. They prove themselves with results, not with special events or secret handshakes. Even in Corbett, they are pretty easy to spot if one knows where to look. Look at their results. Look at the offers they get after high school.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
TAG and LiD
The Learning in Depth program is described in some detail on the Corbett Charter School blog that is linked to the right. It's a simple idea with profound implications for Talented and Gifted students. It provides structured support for independent learning that has no stop-point, no limit, no culminating gold star (no accompanying emptiness and feeling like one has yet again outstripped adult expectations). Students learn for the satisfaction of knowing, and they have organized outlets for sharing their knowledge with others. And the adults get caught up in it.
Yesterday Sheri and I were looking around a furniture store and she asked about wood samples. Why? One of her primary students has 'wood' as her LiD subject. The girl seems very taken with her topic, and frequently reports directly to me her discovery of a new species of tree or kind of wood. When the fellow at the store heard about her topic and her enthusiasm, he loaded us up with samples and invited us to bring her by the store (which has a furniture production shop attached) so that she could see how wood is put to beautiful and practical use around the house.
This fortunate student will never be expected to meet the second grade wood standard. She won't be held back for fear of trespassing on the third grade wood curriculum. If she sticks with it, she will have an expert's understanding of wood by the time she is 18. The cost of the program? Next to nothing. The potential benefit? Nearly limitless. Community connections rise up spontaneously. Experts in the field are anxious to share what they know. They are pleased that young people find their life's work meaningful. Teachers garner a wealth of information and understanding regarding all of their students' topics as they help to gather books and other sources of information.
Learning in Depth. LiD. A simple, effective, inexpensive program that can be implemented in every school in Oregon to the benefit of every student...and perhaps especially for the most gifted among them.
Yesterday Sheri and I were looking around a furniture store and she asked about wood samples. Why? One of her primary students has 'wood' as her LiD subject. The girl seems very taken with her topic, and frequently reports directly to me her discovery of a new species of tree or kind of wood. When the fellow at the store heard about her topic and her enthusiasm, he loaded us up with samples and invited us to bring her by the store (which has a furniture production shop attached) so that she could see how wood is put to beautiful and practical use around the house.
This fortunate student will never be expected to meet the second grade wood standard. She won't be held back for fear of trespassing on the third grade wood curriculum. If she sticks with it, she will have an expert's understanding of wood by the time she is 18. The cost of the program? Next to nothing. The potential benefit? Nearly limitless. Community connections rise up spontaneously. Experts in the field are anxious to share what they know. They are pleased that young people find their life's work meaningful. Teachers garner a wealth of information and understanding regarding all of their students' topics as they help to gather books and other sources of information.
Learning in Depth. LiD. A simple, effective, inexpensive program that can be implemented in every school in Oregon to the benefit of every student...and perhaps especially for the most gifted among them.
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