Interesting comment on the AP Bio teachers listserv

[Jane in NC]

A number of teachers were bemoaning lower scores this year which prompted the following comment:

 

"It pains me to read your postings. There are going to be hundreds of AP

biology teachers who will be surprised by the incresed numbers of 3's

and below and not understand what has happened. Today, College Board

let the cat out of the bag. I have just come from a session at the AP

conference during which the AP biology development committee spoke about

the recent AP biology comparability study and how the scores were

readjusted SIGNIFICANTLY. So last year, the scores broke down in the

following way: 5's-19.3%, 4's- 20.3, 3's-21.2, 2's-23.2, 1's-15.9.

Here's how the scores were readjusted this year: 5's-18.3, 4's-15.7,

3's-16.1, 2's-15.3, 1's-34.6. However, the raw scores were comparable

with last year's scores. This study is based on giving college students

AP test questions but the students are not tested under the same

conditions as high school students. They receive 25 multiple choice

questions and 1 free response at the end of a semester course and the

questions only cover the material from the course they have just

completed. All of us at the meeting were VERY upset with the

methodology used in this study. It seems to reflect a complete lack of

understanding of experimental design."

 

Teachers who rarely saw a one or two now have significant numbers of them. The general feeling was that asking students to pay $85 to try the test was perhaps a mistake.

 

One wonders if other scores were readjusted. Anyone follow other AP teachers listservs?

 

Jane

[Jan in MO]

I follow 5 of the AP listservs and Bio is the only one reporting this. The other 4 have been indicating no such difference.

 

I wish I could find something in writing about this difference; not that I distrust this individual that reported the change. I don't know them at all. I'd just like something in the form of CollegeBoard documentation that outlines it.

[Jane in NC]

 

I wish I could find something in writing about this difference; not that I distrust this individual that reported the change. I don't know them at all. I'd just like something in the form of CollegeBoard documentation that outlines it.

 

Good point and I was wrong to post the above without that caveat; however, there were a number of disappointed biology teachers who had been reporting low scores.

 

Thanks for keeping me honest.

Jane

[Bev in B'ville]

The word "significant" is interpreted in so many ways (a jump from 19.3% of 5's to 18.3% 5's does not seem big, but some of the other numbers are, but determining "significance" is a statistical matter, not one of opinion - and if significant, how much so? .01, ..05?). I would want to see the study design and the statistics used. The study design, at first glance, seems flawed, however, I'm not sure we have the whole picture. Do all of the college Biology students across the country get the same 25 questions mc questions and the same free response or is that varied? How many students participated? The AP course is designed to reflect a one semester college course, so giving the test after the course would seem appropriate. Testing conditions are a concern, but to be honest, not a big one in my opinion. The testing was probably given during finals week where the students were studying for multiple tests and they took the test in a classroom environment. This is not so different from high school students.

 

I'm not sure I understand the argument that the test only covered the material covered in the course. Most AP courses use the same textbooks as the colleges. So, yes, the course material should be the same, right? I mean, this is done intentionally so that comparisons can be made to a college level course.

 

We've always known that the AP test is based on a curved grading system so yearly variances are to be expected. I would like to see the past 10 years or so and look at the variances across all of those years. Was this year's variances any different from past years?

 

The question I'm more interested in is how did the homeschool bunch do compared to the nation as a whole? And, how did that affect (if it did) the scoring? Were those scores spread out over a bell curve or were they more skewed to one side or another?

 

Ah, too many questions, not enough answers. I'm willing to bet this teacher's students did not do so well. If her students had all made 4's and 5's would she be complaining?

 

As always, just my $.02

[Jane in NC]

 

The question I'm more interested in is how did the homeschool bunch do compared to the nation as a whole? And' date=' how did that affect (if it did) the scoring? Were those scores spread out over a bell curve or were they more skewed to one side or another?

 

[/quote']

 

The National Latin Exam committee has been studyng and reporting on the breakdown between traditional and block scheduled students as well as homeschooled vs. nonhomeschooled students. I find the numbers to be interesting and appreciate their willingness to share with the community of Latin educators.

 

Perhaps the College Board is more forthcoming at their summer sessions with teachers.

 

Jane

[Anne/Ankara]

Jane, here is a link to that discussion on the College Confidential message board. Sounds like what you reported! Wow, that really changed the amount of students who received a 1.

 

Interesting discussion too about whether the college-level biology course is typically one or two semesters at most schools. Hmmm, I'm still trying to figure out if the AP exam tests competency for a one or two semester intro biology course... do you have any insight here?

 

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ap-tests-preparation/542421-college-board-changes-scoring-biology-possibly-others.html

[threetreasurs]

I am fairly certain that it is one semester.

[Jan in MO]

Oh Jane! I wasn't trying direct my comments toward you at all! I was just saying that I was hoping to see this in some official form.

 

This news would be so disheartening to a student that went into the test feeling well-prepared and came away with a 1 or a 2.

[FloridaLisa]

Wow, I think that is a significant difference in scores. Not much noticeable change with the percentage of students that garnered a 5. But there was a 10% decrease in the amount of students earning a 3 or higher and more than double the percentage that got a 1. Yikes. That number was a sig change. I had heard rumblings about bio on the AP Gov list, but I'm not a member of bio list. Wow, ladies, I'll be sure to let ds know that his score was even a bit more precios this year. I feel homemade chocolate chip cookies in the making. ;)

 

Lisa

[FloridaLisa]

Would the revised curve have skewed expected scores for a student? IOW, if a student took practice tests using the prep books and, based on the scores, was getting consistent 5's or 4's, I take it that would have been curved down based on the revisions. Hmmm. Help me out here folks. :D

 

Lisa

[Caroline]

Have the number of students taking the test increased? Since one of the ways high schools are judged these days is by the percentage of students taking AP tests, not just courses, I wonder if more schools are requiring everyone to take the exams. I believe that would increase the number of students getting lower scores. Students who would not have taken the test in the past due to not thinking they could pass would now be taking the test. I know many public schools require everyone to take the test. A lot of high schools in low income areas have grants to pay for students to take the tests, and those students on free/reduced lunch get a break on the price. The high school at which I teach charges students a flat rate of $20 per year for AP testing. So if you take 1 test it is $20. If you take 3 tests, it is $20. We have a grant from a graduate that pays for our students' testing.