Many teens received results from spring Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams last week. But some AP students got bad news: They need to retake exams.
The College Board, the organization behind the AP program, informed more than 500 students at Scripps Ranch High School in California that their scores are invalid because the school did not follow a relatively new seating arrangement policy, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
But many of the thousands of students who did receive their scores last week shared a variety of reactions on Twitter.
I PASSED MY AP CALC EXAM!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/o9JXNRz8MQ — Rebecca Hnatyk (@yodawgrebec) July 6, 2017
I PASSED BOTH MY AP TESTS I AM ACTUALLY CRYING I DID NOT WASTE NEARLY $200 — megan henderson (@megxchristine) July 6, 2017
#ibresultsnight #ibresults #whoswho #kinsaystudyante #teameffort #uglycryfordays #dadthough proud of you @jonaamarieex #muyemocional pic.twitter.com/U6pRiEWud0 — Dea (@dea_was_here) July 6, 2017
Parents may be wondering what exactly these scores mean — since AP and IB use nontraditional grading systems. The information below might help.
1. AP grades on a 1 to 5 scale, while IB mostly uses a 1 to 7 range. Parents may be used to the traditional letter grade system of A, B, C and so on that most high schools use. But AP and IB exams are scored using a numerical score, with 5 and 7 being the best score students can receive.
Students aiming to earn the IB diploma have to complete at least six IB courses and some additional components, says Marie Vivas, senior development manager at the International Baccalaureate Organization. And they must earn a combined 24 points from assessments, following all requirements, to receive the diploma, according to the IBO.
[Discover how AP and IB diploma programs offer high schoolers a challenge.]
Among the additional components are an extended essay and the Theory of Knowledge course, which are scored on a letter grade system, Vivas says. Another required component evaluates student’s participation in cocurricular activities and is graded on completion.
2. A student’s final AP or IB score may not be based off just one exam. For most IB courses, students have to complete assessments during the school year in class, along with another outside assessment such as lab work or an essay, Vivas says. This work is in addition to the final exam and contributes to a student’s overall exam score.
While most AP scores are based on a student’s work on final exams, there are some tests that require and evaluate specific assignments completed during the school year, says John Williamson, vice president of AP curriculum and instruction. That includes the AP Research and AP Seminar courses, both elements of the organization’s diploma program.
3. Students may be able to receive college credit depending on their results. Generally, students need at least a 3 on AP exams to try to receive college credit, says Williamson. For IB exams, students need to aim for at least a 4, Vivas says.
But colleges and universities have varying policies for awarding credit, these experts say.
4. Even if a student receives a low score, there are benefits to participating. “Some students are really reaching when they are taking an AP or IB course,” says Karen Nitsch, director of advanced academics at McAllen Independent School District in Texas.
For these students, a 1 or 2 is an accomplishment because it was better than sitting in a regular level class and not aiming to complete the most rigorous courses available to them. They should be celebrated for making it through these classes and participating, says Nitsch, who oversees the district’s AP and IB programs, among other initiatives.
There may be many reasons why a student received a low score: an unprepared teacher could have led the class, for example. She doesn’t recommend parents discourage these students from taking more college-level courses while in high school. Still, students should reflect on why they received a low score.
AP and IB scores are released after the end of the school year, so scores won’t affect high school grades, she says. The actual exam scores don’t affect the college admissions process — unless the student were to specifically send scores to schools they are applying to. Colleges will, however, see the letter grade a student receives for these courses on high school transcripts.
[Get answers for parents about college-level classes in high school.]
The most important part of participating in AP and IB is all the content and skills students were able to learn and practice, she says.
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4 Facts About AP, IB Test Scores for Parents originally appeared on usnews.com
