Get an AP syllabus approved by college board?

[LNC]

I see the 4 samples on the Human Geography site.

 

Can someone walk me through the process. I see all the checklists, but it seems so easy just to cut and paste from the samples to create my own. Would they approve that? Isn't is cheating or something? How do you go about this? Using the samples or come up with something original?:001_smile:\

 

PA homeschoolers doesn't allow 9th graders anymore for this course. Which other AP classes would you attempt on your own? I was thinking of this one, AP Art History and AP Music Theory (after 10 years of piano lessons w/theory). Anything else?

 

She wants to use PA Homeschoolers for everything else.

[regentrude]

Why do you want to go through the trouble of having the course approved?

 

You can simply teach whatever you want and have your student take the AP test. From what I have read here, an AP course designation on a transcript without a test score is not really worth anything. OTOH, if you get a good test score, nobody cares whether the course itself was labeled AP.

[Jane Elliot]

Why do you want to go through the trouble of having the course approved?

 

You can simply teach whatever you want and have your student take the AP test. From what I have read here, an AP course designation on a transcript without a test score is not really worth anything. OTOH, if you get a good test score, nobody cares whether the course itself was labeled AP.

 

This is the approach we've taken. It goes on the transcript like this:

 

English Literature and Composition (with AP exam)

 

I list the AP exam scores in a separate section at the bottom of the transcript.

 

P.S. to the OP - I first found out about The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study from one of your posts. We are loving it. Thank you!

Edited April 23, 2012 by Luann in ID
added a P.S. to OP

[Supertechmom]

I've just had 2 approved. I did look at the samples, google around and looked at others on the net. I found several really good websites to help us as well as the textbook site. i then did a series of cut/paste, original content and stuff that directly applied to my little homeschool. The biggest thing is listing those CR items in a chart and then marking parts of your syllabus that shows that you are going to do that. Then I submitted it. that process wann't bad and I had a response back the next day.

 

I went to the trouble because my state schools use weighted grading and I wanted mine to be able to compete in the GPA rankings in case he went to an instate school. I would hate to go through paying for ap tests to find out his class that prepared him for ap doesn't get extra weight because it wasn't labeled AP officially. Out of my crazy state, it won't matter whether it is an "AP" class or not. But inside , it might. The process is easy enough so to speak ( ap biology took me about 2 weeks of nights to get that created)so better safe than sorry. I think. I'll report back in 3 years and let you know if that worked or was an unnecessary step :D

[LNC]

I've just had 2 approved. I did look at the samples, google around and looked at others on the net. I found several really good websites to help us as well as the textbook site. i then did a series of cut/paste, original content and stuff that directly applied to my little homeschool. The biggest thing is listing those CR items in a chart and then marking parts of your syllabus that shows that you are going to do that. Then I submitted it. that process wann't bad and I had a response back the next day.

 

I went to the trouble because my state schools use weighted grading and I wanted mine to be able to compete in the GPA rankings in case he went to an instate school. I would hate to go through paying for ap tests to find out his class that prepared him for ap doesn't get extra weight because it wasn't labeled AP officially. Out of my crazy state, it won't matter whether it is an "AP" class or not. But inside , it might. The process is easy enough so to speak ( ap biology took me about 2 weeks of nights to get that created)so better safe than sorry. I think. I'll report back in 3 years and let you know if that worked or was an unnecessary step :D

That was the reason I wanted to get it approved, for universities that weigh grades...What is the CR items?

[Supertechmom]

LOL! I'm not sure what they officially stand for...but they are the course requirements that set apart the AP class from any ole class. All the samples have in brackets and bold [CR ] with some number in after the cr sprinkled throughout and then in some chart or box with the definition of it. It corresponds to certain requirements

 

Like CR1 in the biology class is Students and teachers use a recently published (within the last 10 years) college-level biology textbook.

 

And so on...... The samples and the syllabus development guide are extremely helpful. The last one gives samples of the exact wording they want to see. That's why so many look alike. once you get the gist of it, it's pretty easy . I've made one format that works for us and then sub in and out the words for the different classes. Good Luck!!

[Deb in NJ]

I've had AP Micro and Macro as well as AP Physics approved. If you think of it as just planning out your lesson plan it becomes much easier.

 

I first look at what texts the college board suggests for the course. Research those and other texts. Make a text selection.

 

Then using that text I create a syllabus exactly like I would create a lesson plan.

 

I plan out my weeks and which chapters I want to cover. Example:

 

Week one: Chapter #- topic - here is what we will be covering - list of assignments, and any extras like watching a video that goes along with the chapter, any assigned projects for that chapter.

 

I follow the same pattern for each week/chapter.

 

I typically will assign some sort of report or project at the end to be worked on after the AP exam and will list that at the end of the syllabus.

 

Next, I pull out the collegeboard's list of what will be covered on the AP exam for that course and I place check marks on my syllabus to ensure that I have covered everything that they have listed.

 

Finally, I list all the texts, magazines, video, websites that we will be using in class.

 

Then I just send it in!

 

Doing this works out great for us because I have a plan all laid out that ensures we stay on track and hit every topic that we need to.

 

Hope that helps.

Deb

[Supertechmom]

HI DEB!

 

Would love to see your AP Physics syllabus. We are going to do that his junior or senior year.

 

Thanks

[Muttichen]

Why do you want to go through the trouble of having the course approved?

 

Why would you NOT want to get it approved? Planning out your syllabus beforehand so you're sure you understand the test is definitely worth the trouble!

 

We have had many courses approved -- French, German, Calculus, Computer Science, French Lit when it existed, etc. We looked at the course requirements and sample syllabi online and planned out the year. Our courses were always approved within a couple of days without any trouble.

[KAR120C]

Why do you want to go through the trouble of having the course approved?

 

You can simply teach whatever you want and have your student take the AP test. From what I have read here, an AP course designation on a transcript without a test score is not really worth anything. OTOH, if you get a good test score, nobody cares whether the course itself was labeled AP.

We did get one course approved, and it really wasn't a pain at all. Like others have said, it was more a matter of my going through and planning out the lessons with the materials I wanted to use, and then submitting them... If they hadn't been approved, I probably wouldn't have bothered revising... but they were. I have really liked having the designation, because we did the course very (very!) young, and DS hasn't taken the exam yet. He's on for this May though, in just a few weeks, and after that I doubt the approval will be an issue anymore... but in the meantime it has been nice to be able to say "no, really... it was AP stats with an approved syllabus and not just a year spent averaging things"

 

We're looking at two more next year - Environmental Science and Physics. I'll be writing up a syllabus for myself, and I'll submit it for approval again. Next year DS will be applying to private high schools to finish out his schooling, and I might rather like being able to put "AP" on the syllabus before he takes the exam. So it might be worth my while just for that.

 

I do agree that after the exam is taken it's not so interesting whether the syllabus was approved, but the approval does come in handy in that gap between starting the course and finishing the exam. And especially if the transcript might be going anywhere (colleges?) before the exam results are available, it might be worth getting the approval.

[LNC]

Which exams are most conducive to self study?

 

I'm considering making a syllabus for AP Human Geography, AP Art History and AP Music Theory based on how expensive Pa homeschoolers is for something that wouldn't be too difficult to write a syllabus for. :) These are areas of interest for them.

 

The rest of the AP exam/courses look so excellent on PA homeschoolers that we want to pay for the teacher, I think...

Edited April 25, 2012 by LNC

[Deb in NJ]

HI DEB!

 

Would love to see your AP Physics syllabus. We are going to do that his junior or senior year.

 

Thanks

 

Private message me with your email address and I'll send it to you. I don't know how to attach things on this website.

 

Deb

[HodgesSchool]

Although I'd never thought about submitting a syllabus, this discussion has made me consider it. I've been putting one together anyway, just for my own sake.

 

After the syllabus is submitted, is there any follow-up or anything?

[Deb in NJ]

Although I'd never thought about submitting a syllabus, this discussion has made me consider it. I've been putting one together anyway, just for my own sake.

 

After the syllabus is submitted, is there any follow-up or anything?

 

No, nothing at all. I keep a copy of the letter that they email out giving the approval and put it into my child's folder.

 

There are add on things on the collegeboard site like specific boards that have running questions/answers/discussions. They are very helpful.

 

If you want to renew your AP approval status - you'll have to do that each year. It is VERY easy - just a button asking to renew the approval for another year.

 

Deb

[regentrude]

OK, you guys have almost convinced me that this IS worth doing.

So Deb (or anybody else who was successful): it really is not that hard? Not a lot of hoops to jump through?

 

I know how to make syllabi- I teach at a college for a living.

I know we will cover the content of AP Calculus BC.

I already have the textbook selected.

So, I just create my normal syllabus and cross-check with the College Board requirements?

In the sample syllabi on the Audit page, I did not see a detailed list of assignments corresponding to the textbook. Is that not necessary?

 

Thanks- you are giving me ideas.

[Beth in SW WA]

:lurk5:

 

Ds wants to take the AP Comp Sci test next year after self-educating. I bought him the Barron's book to study.

 

Anyone have an AP CS syllabus to share?

 

Thanks in advance!!

[Supertechmom]

OK, you guys have almost convinced me that this IS worth doing.

So Deb (or anybody else who was successful): it really is not that hard? Not a lot of hoops to jump through?

 

I know how to make syllabi- I teach at a college for a living.

I know we will cover the content of AP Calculus BC.

I already have the textbook selected.

So, I just create my normal syllabus and cross-check with the College Board requirements?

In the sample syllabi on the Audit page, I did not see a detailed list of assignments corresponding to the textbook. Is that not necessary?

 

Thanks- you are giving me ideas.

 

PM me with your email and I will send my AP Calculus BC to you. It's not a detailed list so much as topics that will be covered and my time frame. Now AP Biology was a detailed list of everything from videos to labs to whatnot but not the Cal. (And don't laugh at it! I'm not a professor and I'm sure it's not the caliber you're used to seeing :D) The biggest thing I found was putting those CR's in for easy identification that you covered what they wanted.

[Supertechmom]

:lurk5:

 

Ds wants to take the AP Comp Sci test next year after self-educating. I bought him the Barron's book to study.

 

Anyone have an AP CS syllabus to share?

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

 

I hope to have one before the end of May. Send me a pm with your email and I will send it to you when I get it done. You can change it up however you want or if you like it, I believe you can share it on the AP site. But I do intend to make one.

[HodgesSchool]

One more question:

 

I ran across a note on the CB site that schools cannot call a course AP on a pre high school student's transcript. If a course is designed for high schoolers, a younger child may take a formal AP class and then even get a 5 on the AP exam, but unless it is a world language, the school cannot list it as an AP class.

 

Would you think this would apply to homeschoolers? (I don't see why it wouldn't really, but I'm sort of hoping some of you might...)

[snowbeltmom]

One more question:

 

I ran across a note on the CB site that schools cannot call a course AP on a pre high school student's transcript. If a course is designed for high schoolers, a younger child may take a formal AP class and then even get a 5 on the AP exam, but unless it is a world language, the school cannot list it as an AP class.

 

Would you think this would apply to homeschoolers? (I don't see why it wouldn't really, but I'm sort of hoping some of you might...)

 

Wow. I have never heard of this policy before. My oldest took AP Physics B at our public school last year when he was in 8th grade. The public school transcript has the course listed as "AP Physics B". Maybe the school is not aware of this policy either? (which,imo,is a stupid policy.)

 

Just my 2cents, but if I had a course approved as AP, I would list it on the transcript as AP regardless of when it was taken - especially if the student had the test score to validate the AP designation.

Edited April 28, 2012 by snowbeltmom

[HodgesSchool]

Here's the policy, which I was quite surprised by:

 

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/Appropriate-Grade-Levels-for-AP-Courses.pdf

[KAR120C]

Here's the policy, which I was quite surprised by:

 

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/Appropriate-Grade-Levels-for-AP-Courses.pdf

 

Hm. I wonder why they even care!

[snowbeltmom]

Here's the policy, which I was quite surprised by:

 

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/Appropriate-Grade-Levels-for-AP-Courses.pdf

 

Imo, this is a ridiculous policy. I don't understand why the policy also has exceptions. Why should a student advanced in languages be able to list a course with the AP designation prior to 9th grade, but a kid advanced in science not have the same opportunity? :confused:

 

At the end of the day, the colleges are probably only concerned about the actual AP score anyway, but I am keeping the AP designation on s's transcript.:D

[snowbeltmom]

Hm. I wonder why they even care!

 

Pure speculation... but a couple of thoughts come to mind:

 

Maybe the CB wants to prevent the "AP Arms Race" from moving to the middle school level, or maybe the CB is worried that if a school offered an AP class as part of its middle school program and the kids scored well on the exam, people would start to question whether the AP level courses were truly at the college level.

[KAR120C]

Pure speculation... but a couple of thoughts come to mind:

 

Maybe the CB wants to prevent the "AP Arms Race" from moving to the middle school level, or maybe the CB is worried that if a school offered an AP class as part of its middle school program and the kids scored well on the exam, people would start to question whether the AP level courses were truly at the college level.

But my observation via my tutoring kids (in public high school) is that there's not really that much of a rush to AP even among 9th and 10th graders. Most kids really aren't ready. But if they are, I don't think age has anything to do with it! I'd much rather they threaten to cut off the schools that can't manage a good average exam result. If they're calling it AP and can't squeak out at least a mean of 3 from their students, then they can't have it on the transcript.

 

I agree that without the test score it's not particularly meaningful to claim the designation, but that's true at any age. Really it's just a means of communication. If I put the "AP" on DS's transcript, what I'm saying is that I did go through the trouble (little trouble that it is) to make sure our syllabus complied with the College Board's guidelines, and that they approved it. If I were a college or a scholarship program, or whoever ends up seeing the transcript, I would absolutely want the score too. A well-designed syllabus does not guarantee a well-prepared student... All I really want it to communicate, though, is our intentions. And I'm still going to put it on DS's transcript. If someone complains later, I'll apologize. :glare:

[Beth in SW WA]

I hope to have one before the end of May. Send me a pm with your email and I will send it to you when I get it done. You can change it up however you want or if you like it, I believe you can share it on the AP site. But I do intend to make one.

 

Thank you!:001_smile:

[KAR120C]

So, I just create my normal syllabus and cross-check with the College Board requirements?

In the sample syllabi on the Audit page, I did not see a detailed list of assignments corresponding to the textbook. Is that not necessary?

I didn't have a detailed list of assignments - just topics and corresponding chapters. The only "tricky" bit (not that tricky...) is I added in little tags throughout the syllabus pointing to where each required element was addressed. Statistics requires a project, under the Curricular Requirement #2, so when I outlined the project -- all of two sentences to say the student is required to design an experiment, conduct it, analyze it, and present it -- I stuck a tag in the margin that said "CR2". I made sure that all the Curricular Requirements were addressed, and then labeled them so it was easy to see what I had intended. Everything else in the syllabus was stuff I would have done for myself anyway... Tagging the required elements only added a few minutes of work.

[snowbeltmom]

But my observation via my tutoring kids (in public high school) is that there's not really that much of a rush to AP even among 9th and 10th graders. Most kids really aren't ready. But if they are, I don't think age has anything to do with it! I'd much rather they threaten to cut off the schools that can't manage a good average exam result. If they're calling it AP and can't squeak out at least a mean of 3 from their students, then they can't have it on the transcript. {snip}

 

And I'm still going to put it on DS's transcript. If someone complains later, I'll apologize. :glare:

 

There is not a rush to APs at my local school either. However, that is not the case in a neighboring school district. It is not uncommon for kids to start taking APs in 9th grade, and graduating with 10+ AP credits.

 

I agree that if the school's result don't average a mean of 3, that the class should not be designated as AP. My p.s. has horrid AP results. However, the AP scores are not listed on the high school transcript, so unless the student self reports, all the colleges see is that the student received an "A" in the class - even if they received a "1" on the actual exam.

 

Regarding the bolded, that's my plan as well.:001_smile:

[Barbara H]

Re: taking APs early. There certainly are homeschoolers who take tests earlier than high school age and if that's a good fit for your child I wouldn't worry about it. My experience is that it is a rare kid who is ready for this but often in these situations their grade level isn't necessarily fixed. They may have "sort of" skipped grades and may be planning more grade skips to be decided in the future. That's how we handled it because the child was ready for AP studies before we were ready to make a final decision on grade skips. We make that decision when needed for National Merit purposes.

 

One thing to mention though, is that the College Board does "archive" AP scores after four years. That just means there is a separate process for ordering them, and as you may have guessed, and additional fee ($25) to retrieve them. I wouldn't see this as a reason to skip the AP if it is a good fit for a student. You only have to send the scores to the school where they matriculate so it should not be a big deal. Do keep those little sheets with their test dates and numbers though because it makes the form easier to fill out. http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/Archived-AP-Scores-Request-Form-2010-11.pdf http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_rep.html

[Deb in NJ]

:lurk5:

 

Ds wants to take the AP Comp Sci test next year after self-educating. I bought him the Barron's book to study.

 

Anyone have an AP CS syllabus to share?

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

We are thinking (98% sure) that we'll be doing this for this up coming year. I'll be putting my syllabus together this summer. If your interested I can send it to you then.

[Deb in NJ]

OK, you guys have almost convinced me that this IS worth doing.

So Deb (or anybody else who was successful): it really is not that hard? Not a lot of hoops to jump through?

 

I know how to make syllabi- I teach at a college for a living.

I know we will cover the content of AP Calculus BC.

I already have the textbook selected.

So, I just create my normal syllabus and cross-check with the College Board requirements?

In the sample syllabi on the Audit page, I did not see a detailed list of assignments corresponding to the textbook. Is that not necessary?

 

Thanks- you are giving me ideas.

 

Strange as it may be, it is that simple. You just need to cover all the materials that they would like to see.

 

I have seen some sample syllabi on the audit page that did contain assignment work and some that did not. I choose to put mine on - because that makes it easier for me. It is all laid out and I can move along the school year easily.

 

Do what works best for you - the best syllabus is the one that you'll enjoy working with!

[Deb in NJ]

Thought this might be of interest to some -

 

My daughter and her friends had set up a website last year for kids taking AP's. It is a website that is designed to share information (books, videos, etc) that they are using, to ask questions and to support one another during the AP process.

 

AP's are so much easier (and more fun) when you have a group who is tackling the same subject you are!

 

I am hoping that they will add a very specific sections for us Mom's :0)

 

I will post the website and the information on this board in a new thread.

 

Deb