I just received an email from the College Board about a change for the second week of AP tests. There were many students who could not submit their completed work for a number of reasons, including the "submit" button just not working. Here's info about changes to the submission process: Submitting Exam Responses We share the deep disappointment of students who were unable to submit responses. Beginning Monday, May 18, and continuing through the makeup window, there will be a backup email submission process for browser-based exams. This option will only be available for students who were not able to submit in the standard process—and they must then email their responses immediately following their exam. These students will see instructions about how to email their response on the page that says, "We Did Not Receive Your Response." The email address that appears on this page will be unique to each student. Any student testing between May 18–22 who can't successfully upload their response through the exam platform or send it to us by email, will need to request a makeup exam. To protect the security and validity of exams, we're unable to accept submissions from students who tested May 11–15. However, these students can feel confident that the email option will be in place for them during the makeup exams. Email submissions will not be available for the World Language exams.

There are still a lot of moving parts to the AP Exams, which is frustrating and stressful. Here is a handy document that has lots of info--some of it extra info that was not communicated or clear before. It says it's for educators, but as far as I can tell, you do not have to log in to view this: In-Depth FAQ for Educators. Here are a couple of things that have changed or been clarified: Students CAN use two devices if they plan to handwrite. There are two different ways to upload (text file or image). It will be important for students to practice using the demo, because the upload formats are very specific based on whether you are uploading a complete file or uploading page by page. See 2.1.2 and 2.1.5 and 2.5.2 There may be more sections addressing this. (not in the FAQ) There will be no line numbers on the AP English passages. This is helpful info since some students like to include line numbers in their essays, and some may be planning to use those line numbers as they take notes to plan their essays on a separate piece of paper. Per Susie Bonsey, Director of AP English Literature and Composition and Aubrey Ludwig, Director of AP English Language and Composition via the AP Teacher Community forum: "To ensure that the exams can be accessed on a wide variety of student devices and the passages can maintain a consistent appearance across variable screen sizes, there will be no line numbers for the passages on the AP English exams." While the College Board has discouraged students from calling the help line if they are not getting emails, one of my students did call yesterday and sent me this: "I just called the college board and apparently in my account I wasn't subscribed to receiving their emails/updates on AP stuff. So that's fixed now." In case you've been looking in your junk/spam folders, be aware that the email sender name for some (maybe all) recent AP emails may be: "Advanced Placement Program" (rather than a "College Board" title ). So you may want to search that way in your junk folder. Some students with gmail addresses are also reporting that previously "invisible" emails ARE showing up if they look in their gmail "All Mail" folder. I was not getting some AP exam teacher emails, and after calling the CB and reconfirming that "yes, I did check my profile page . . ." I was told there appeared to be nothing wrong with my email/account and they would "elevate" the issue. I started getting emails the very next day. If your student is not getting emails, you might consider calling. Just be prepared to multi-task. It'll probably be a long wait. 😉

I updated the link in the original post, and here it is again: https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1302024&tp_key=73070ccd21 I'm not sure why it stopped working. I hope this one works for you. If not, try going here first and scrolling down the the "register" button: https://woodinville.nsd.org/n/~board/whs-news/post/preparing-for-ap-exams-register-now-for-college-board-webinar-set-for-april-16-400pm Both links work for me now. I hope they do for you! ☀️

There will be a parent webinar "Helping Your Student Prepare for AP Exams" this Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Here is a link where you can register for that: https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1302024&tp_key=73070ccd21

Here is a link to last night's webinar about the AP exam: https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1299211&tp_key=56f627d7d4

It's my understanding that students will access the test through their College Board "My AP" log in (https://myap.collegeboard.org/login). This is where students set up their account this year and entered information needed to sign up for an exam with a local school. So I believe that homeschoolers will access their exams there--as will public schoolers.

Trevor Packer just held a webinar about the AP exams, and the recording of that will be available tomorrow. These will be the exam questions for AP English: AP Lit, Q2 Prose Essay AP Lang, Q2 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Some changes of note: AP Calc test takers will have to choose either AB or BC. If they take BC, they will not get an AB sub-score. Teachers will receive copies of the exams approximately two weeks after they've been taken. Exams will be graded online and there will be TWO graders/scorers (rather than just one in the past). Students can use their cell phones, iPads, computers. They can type their responses or handwrite and then take a cellphone shot and upload their exam. The revised exam dates for the 45-minute, online, at-home exams:

The 2020-21 Common App prompts will be the same as 2019-20. You can find the prompts here: https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts.

Per Trevor Packer, who is the Senior Vice President of Advanced Placement and Instruction at College Board:

It's all a guess at this point, but my guess is that the written work will not include a synthesis essay (super hard to pull off online since students have to toggle to sources). Based on the online resource videos that are being offered for Lang next week, it looks like the focus will be on rhetorical analysis. Based on this description: "Explain how an argument demonstrates understanding of an audience’s beliefs, values, or needs." There will be live online review sessions for the various AP courses/exams offered beginning next week, and the first week's schedule for those can be found HERE.

The College Board has issued a statement about AP exams HERE.

Most of my students have entered their state followed by the words Home School. For example: North Carolina Home School. This worked for all but one student, and she had to call the College Board for help.

There are two kinds of join codes: a class join code and an exam-only code. Students who are taking an AP class from PAH or another provider will enter both codes in their College Board account. Those who are self studying will receive an "exam-only" code from the school where they will be testing--and they will enter that one code in their CB account.

Agree completely. Sorry--I misunderstood. 👍

I think the Sept 4 date is a suggested date to begin contacting the College Board to ask about possible test sites. We have never ever found this process helpful ourselves. We've just called around to local public and private schools and asked for the AP Coordinator and inquired that way. The AP Ledger always worked best for us to find local school possibilties. All you have to enter is the AP class name and city, and you will see a list of schools that have an approved syllabus for that class. That's usually a good indicator that they will be hosting the test for their own students. I have seen different registration deadline info/recommendations published, including HERE. And there is still a lot of incorrect "spring registration" info floating around in cyberspace, so, sadly, some folks who do a quick Google search will be in for a shock when they start inquiring about exam registration in the spring. 😳 I think early October is the recommendation for homeschoolers to have secured an exam seat. Registration deadlines are going to vary, school to school. In the past, some schools registered their students and closed registration way before the CB guidelines. So jumping on this in September seems like the way to go. I am sure that there will be a lot of stressed out AP Coordinators at high schools across the country. It's not just the exam registration timing that has changed. AP Coordinators are helping teachers set up--and troubleshoot--the new MyAP class resources. I imagine many AP Coordinators are feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know a lot of AP English teachers are feeling that way--since so much is changing in the framework and test rubrics for those classes. I don't think that CB or a school will collect your $ before you actually find a school that agrees that your student can test there, and then you will pay the school directly for the test as part of the registration process. So no money will change hands until you actually find and confirm a test site.

I have to believe that the exam only code and the class code are independent of one another I can't imagine that the two codes need to be entered in a particular order. But again, this is all new. I really do not know the answer to your question. I think we will only know that once families begin getting in touch with AP Coordinators and begin securing exam seats. Or someone calls the College Board and asks (and even then I'm not sure I would rely 100% on the response). 😉

Since this is all so new, I don't have rock-solid information that I can pass on with 100% certainty, but based on the AP Summer Institute I attended a week ago and what I have read, I think I understand what will happen. However once a WTM-er's student completes the process, perhaps s/he could share the exact details--since none of us will really know for certain until we go through this process together. Keep in mind that AOPS doesn't have to host exams, just as I don't host exams, in order for an AP instructor to access class codes and the online classroom resources. A class code connects a student to a teacher (not necessarily to a school) so that that teacher can administer online "progress check" tests and create multiple choice tests from a large question bank. Connecting a student to a teacher will also be a more reliable way for teachers to get more accurate analytic data on how their students scored and how they performed as a class as a whole on certain parameters. This is one of the few bright spots of the new process for me, since it's always the case that some of my students forget to enter my online provider code, so I have to contact students for scores and my class-wide data (which breaks down multiple choice and essay scoring by things such as "pre-20th century readings") is a bit skewed. Since a class code connects a student to an AP teacher (who has an approved syllabus), I am not sure that the AP Coordinator needs to even know the class info for an outside student. It will already be in the system for that student if s/he has "joined" the class online. For example, in the first week of class, I am going to give the class code to my AP Lit students and request (require) that they all go to My AP online, set up a College Board account if they don't have one, and then "join" my class by entering the class code I give them. Once they have done that, that info is recorded in the system for that student (so the AP Coordinator does not need that). AP Coordinators--I believe (again, this is all new)--should really not need to know anything about my class (or my class code). All they need is for the student to go into "My AP" and with the exam-only code--enter that where that needs to go in order to sign up for the exam. The class information should already be in the CB database. I hope that makes sense. Keep in mind that a class code is not needed. It is a way for an AP teacher to expose students to test prep resources and gain information about their progress during the year. If your student is self studying, it might be nice for him/her to have access to those resources, but there are plenty of other test prep resources available to students. So if your student is self studying, don't worry. There will be resources on the College Board site during the year that will help students familiarize themselves with the exams and get some practice. ☀️ And the test prep publishers must be in overdrive right now updating their test prep books!

All AP Coordinators should definitely know what an exam-only code is. It will be the only way for them to order exams for students who are not part of their student body. Once students get an exam-only code from the AP Coordinator at the local school where they will be taking the exam, they will log in to "My AP" (that's where they will log in for everything that is AP/College Board related--including where they will see their scores), and they will enter lots of info that is normally filled out by hand on bubble sheets at the end of the year. At or close to exam time, students will be given their AP paperwork with their basic information already pre-printed on their forms. If AOPS teachers have approved AP syllabi, then each instructor has access to class codes for each class they teach--if they want them. My impression is that AOPS teachers teach quite a few different sections and classes over the course of a year, so they may just choose not to use them. But every teacher who has an approved syllabus has access to a class code for every class they teach. 😉

If your student is self-studying for an AP exam and you do not have an approved syllabus, then your student will only get an "exam only" code from the AP Coordinator at the school where your student is taking the AP test. Your student will not have a separate class code. Those are assigned to--and then given out by--teachers who have an approved syllabus. If you DO have an approved syllabus, when you sign in to AP Central, there will be a process where you can "name" your class and you will be assigned a code that will show up on your AP Central page in the future. I can't remember the exact process, but I remember it was very straight forward when I did it--and the code just appeared on my AP Central teacher page. Sorry I can't be more specific about that part. If you have an approved syllabus, the process to obtain your code should be clear cut. Perhaps someone else who has an approved syllabus as a homeschool teacher could chime in. I think the process is the same for me (as a teacher who is part of a CB approved "online provider") as it will be for individual homeschool teachers, but I am not 100% certain if that's the case.

No, every AP Coordinator has been given their school's exam-only code (for those students who are not part of their student body). Every AP teacher (whether online or in a brick and mortar school) has his/her own code for each class taught. So for example, I teach Lit and Lang, so I have two codes--one for each class. When classes start, I will give the Lit code to my Lit students so that they can "join" my class online through the "My AP" website, and they will be able to take AP "progress tests" or multiple choice practice tests during the year there if and when I choose to open those up for them.

Yes, that is correct. Students who are taking an AP class in a classroom or online will be given a code by their teacher for their class. There will be a separate "exam only" code given to students who are not part of a school's student body by the AP Coordinator. So homeschoolers will have two codes if they are taking an AP class from an AP instructor who has gone through the course audit. Here are a couple College Board links that might be helpful: "What Homeschooling Families Need to Know" Ordering exams I know that there are a number of us on this forum who have approved syllabuses and already have our class codes. FYI: this is an easy year to get an AP Lit or AP Lang syllabus approved if you want to do that--since you will have the option to simply "adopt" (if you want to) a syllabus template/example that is on the College Board website rather than submitting your own custom syllabus. The idea behind this is that the College Board has made some significant recommended changes to the two courses, so they are giving teachers a "grace" year to modify their syllabi. If you choose to adopt the CB syllabus this year, it is my understanding that you will need to submit your own syllabus next year if you wish to renew the approval of your syllabus. An important heads up. You will see "November 15th" as the exam ordering deadline in some Facebook and other forum posts. Keep in mind that that is not OUR deadline. Midnight on November 15th is the drop-dead date for AP Coordinators to submit their exam orders without having to pay a late fee of $40 per exam. So be sure not to treat November 15th as your deadline. The College Board has encouraged AP Coordinators to get their orders in well before that November 15th date, so it will be important for homeschooling families to contact the AP Coordinator at local schools soon after classes start to begin the process of securing an exam seat. Hope this helps. ☀️

Hi rachelb - I encourage you to reach out to Shin Yen--a homeschooling mom who has taught a variety of math classes (including AOPS) and has tutored widely. When we were designing the math classes for the online provider I head up, I really wanted the math teachers to choose AOPS as the core curriculum, and I advocated for that. Shin--who actually teaches at a local AOPS office in her area in CA--was adamant that AOPS is not for every student. It doesn't mean those students are not bright--and even talented--in math. She maintains that it is just not an approach that is a good fit for all. I don't think Shin frequents the WTM forums, so I encourage you to send her an email if you would like her advice. You can take a look at her credentials here. And if she looks like someone you'd like to talk with, just PM me and I'll be glad to put you in touch with her. Shin is a warm, helpful home educator who might be able to offer additional ideas and support. Best of luck! ~Brigid

A suggestion: consider sending Shin Yen a note and talking to her about her Calc BC class plans. I collaborated with the Blue Tent math instructors as they were designing each of their math classes, and I know that they have in mind that the first live class meeting each week will be focused on teacher instruction (with the opportunity for questions--but primarily to teach). The second live class each week is designed to be quite active--with students working through questions and problem sets the entire time. You might want to talk with Shin to see if the class might be a better fit than you might initially think, even if the first weekly class is watched after it is recorded. We expect that some students will prefer to watch the recorded instruction so that they can zip through anything they feel solid about--and save time on instruction they don't feel they need. Best, ~Brigid ☀️

I assign both Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities in my Lit classes, so clearly I like them both. 😉 They are VERY different examples of Charles Dickens' writing. Great Expectations is immediately accessible to students, while A Tale of Two Cities begins in a very challenging and cryptic fashion for contemporary readers--most of whom will not be familiar with the historical context and all the allusions without help. A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite novels of all time. I highly recommend it--but it will need a lot more teacher guidance for students to understand and appreciate it. I give students background and encourage them to power through the first chapter--assuring them that the novel will be easier to understand on their own after that. Even though A Tale of Two Cities takes much more teacher-prep, it is well worth the effort. In both novels, the serial aspect of the chapters is evident and the "bread crumbs along the way" aspect that is so typical of Dickens are a lot of fun as the mysteries unfold. I don't think you can go wrong with either novel. Great Expectations will be more accessible to younger high schoolers. But A Tale of Two Cities is an amazingly rich novel--and students that make an effort will find themselves rewarded. I teach Heart of Darkness also, which you said you were considering along with Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies will be much more accessible for students. Both novellas are relatively short--which is truly helpful when the year is filled with long tomes. I find that students struggle to understand HOD. That's not a bad thing, but I've learned that they need quite a bit of help to truly understand and appreciate the novella. Many students misunderstand Conrad's objectives and mischaracterize Marlow as racist. They have difficulty reading between the lines to see what Conrad is trying to reveal through Marlow about Colonialism and Imperialism. This is NEVER EVER a favorite book of students, but if they are offered historical background about the "Scramble for Africa" and are given help with the relevance of the historical allusions early in the work, I think you will find it a rich work for discussion. Both HOD and Lord of the Flies would be excellent choices. You can't go wrong with either. You've got a great list of books. You and your students are going to have a wonderful year!

JoJosMom, did your daughter enjoy her Biology class? If so, what about an Anatomy class? I’ll put in a plug for Irene Paine’s Anatomy & Phisiology class through Blue Tent. It’s a different type of lab science that is designed for juniors and seniors. It is not as lab-report oriented, but is more investigative and “case study” oriented.