Question for those whose students take AP courses online...

[Jane in NC]

Do you arrange for your student to take the AP exam at a nearby highschool? What if the course isn't offered there? How challenging was it to persuade the school to administer the test?

 

As alway, thank you.

Jane

[Moira in MA]

I started the process with my local high school but a member of my co-op put me in touch with a local private school that is more welcoming to homeschooled student.

 

Not sure how to help, but do encourage you to get it sorted & soon -- the deadline for contacting the College Board was March 15.

[Gwen in VA]

Thanks to a recent Virginia state law, schools are required to offer tests to homeschoolers.

 

We usually have the kids take their AP exams at this wonderful private school that is about 1/2 mile from us. However, we could NOT find a school that offered AP macroecon -- they all offered microecon. SO we called HSLDA and they offered to threaten to sue the school district for us. Thanks to HSLDA, my ds did end up being able to take the AP micro exam through the school district, but the process was NOT pretty.

 

So I would say that the answer to your question, "Is it easy to get the school district to offer AP exmas?" is "It depends on your school district!"

[LaJuana]

...at a local school, the process was very challenging, but eventually dd was able to take the test even though it was one that the school did not administer to its own students. That was eight years ago. Ever since that first time, however, the local school has been very kind to administer the exams for local homeschooled students. Our local Christian school has just begun to offer some AP exams, too, so even in our small town, we now have two good options.

 

Just be sure to contact the school and begin the process early. I usually make the first contact just after January 1 to find out when they need the information and the payment for the exams. Usually the test order isn't made until February or March, but by contacting them early, we keep the lines of communication open, and I show respect for their deadlines and need to plan.

 

Gwen, I didn't know VA had a law requiring schools to administer tests to homeschooled students; we need similar laws across the country!

[Bev in B'ville]

I called our local high school just down the road for my dd, who will be taking the AP Bio this year. They told me they didn't offer the test because they don't teach the subject. I had to explain to them that they could offer the test and that dd would just sit with the others taking AP tests on that day. The problem actually came not from them not willing to offer the test, but the scheduled test day itself. They didn't have anyone taking any other AP test on that day and they weren't willing to have someone monitor dd while she took the test.

 

We ended up having to contact the hs in the next county. They do offer the course and would be happy to have my dd there. What I found funny, however, is that the school doesn't give the AP test on premises. I have to take dd to a church down the road from the school where she and the others will take the test.

 

PSAT, ACT and AP. Three different tests, three different schools (and a church) so far. Ahh well.

 

You're not alone in your struggles Jane.

[Jane in NC]

Not sure how to help, but do encourage you to get it sorted & soon -- the deadline for contacting the College Board was March 15.

 

We're sorted out for this year. I am planning for next.

 

It took weeks to find someone who could authorize my son's participation in an AP exam at a public high school in the county. This was after I had been told by a private school in a larger city near us that my son could take the exam there. They reneged.

 

There are a couple of APs not offered by any of the area high schools which might be good fits for my son. I am going to work on my local public high school contact to ask her about giving the exam next year and wondered if I was walking into a mine field.

 

Also, as people plan for next year, I want to send the message that signing up for an AP exam is not as simple as, say, signing up for the SAT.

 

Thanks,

Jane (who applauds Gwen for being such a wonderful advocate for her children!)

[forty-two]

I suppose it depends on the school, but when I was in public high school, I took an AP test that the school had no class for, and it was no problem at all. So unless the school has some sort of issue with homeschoolers - which apparently is a lot of them - it shouldn't be a big deal to take a test the school doesn't have a class for. I would think in a large enough or "selective" enough school, they would have a few students of their own doing the same thing, anyway.

[Hilary]

I guess we've been fortunate because we live in a fairly large city with five large public high schools and several large private ones. I've used the public high school in our school district and there's never been any problem. In fact, I have a pretty good relationship with the guidance counselor there. I make sure to contact her in early January to ask her when they're going to have the initial sign-up, and then after spring break to find out when they are having the kids fill in the forms (it'll be this week).

[Jan in MO]

Our experience has been the same as Hilary's. Our local public school has been very accommodating for our AP testing needs. We've been able to take AP exams there even for courses that they don't offer. The guidance counselor there has been terrific. His comment was that we pay taxes into that district so as far as he's concerned it is his job to make sure our needs are met for these AP exams.

 

We could also have tested at the nearby Christian high school but there they will only let you test if it is a class that they offer --- and several of our exams have not been.

[Gwen in VA]

That is so wonderful that you folks have cooperative school systems!

 

We are blessed to have a private school around the corner that is wonderful -- the kids take PSAT's there and most of their AP's there, but it is a small school that only offers a few AP's.

 

My son has to take two AP's with the school district this year -- the private school doesn't offer those two tests. I am praying that the school district actually ordered ds's tests and that the testing goes uneventfully.

 

The odd fact that always amazes me is that my kids seem to be the only hs'ers who do AP's around here. Our school district has nearly 100,000 people living in it, but I know of NO other homeschoolers who do AP's! :confused:

[Jane in NC]

The odd fact that always amazes me is that my kids seem to be the only hs'ers who do AP's around here. Our school district has nearly 100,000 people living in it, but I know of NO other homeschoolers who do AP's! :confused:

 

Fewer in our district, but I'm in the same boat. A homeschooling mother of a 7th grader was happy to hear that we are paving the way--no other homeschoolers in our area do APs. Dual enrollment--mostly CC--is preferred.

 

Jane

[Moira in MA]

DD attended the AP registration session (they filled in the initial answer sheet) today at the private school where she will be taking AP Chemistry.

 

They were very nice, and had the homeschool number for the two homeschooled candidates and the number for the two students from a nearby school district. There was a full page of online AP providers in the student booklet, I hope to get my hands on that.

 

Many people here do CC or Harvard Extension. Some do take the AP through Sunday courses offered by MIT students but they arrange the test site for you. I think the key difference is with online classes you have to make your own arrangements and that may scare some off.