Does there seem to be a preference for PA Homeschoolers vs. TPS for AP courses?

[crazyforlatin]

I'm just starting to research AP courses. There seems to be more chatter about taking AP courses with PA Homeschoolers than with TPS.

 

I know PA Homeschoolers offer a whole lot more subjects. For Spanish, however, I keep reading about Ray Leven, but hardly anything about TPS AP Spanish. The same with AP Lit and Comp/Lang Comp - most people have gone with PA Homeschoolers or some place else.

 

Latin students go with Lukeion for AP Latin, not usually TPS; WHA just started offering it, so that doesn't count.

 

Is it the AP scores? Do the students have on average lower AP scores than PA Homeschoolers? Teachers? I've read that TPS thread regarding customer service. Is it a general preference for someplace else unless there's no choice.

Edited February 2, 2016 by crazyforlatin

[GoodGrief]

Asynchronous courses work much better for us, so we never seriously considered TPS.

[crazyforlatin]

Asynchronous courses work much better for us, so we never seriously considered TPS.

 

Thanks, that makes sense, especially at that level when a student may be taking a couple of AP courses and have outside activities. 

[Luckymama]

We've outsourced only one AP class, AP English Language, and that to Blue Tent Online (80% rate of 4/5).

 

TPS does not work for us because secular is a must.

 

Dd preferred the description of the Blue Tent class to the options at PA Homeschoolers. I let her make the class choice.

[madteaparty]

With some things you don't have a choice. I want a secular class very badly, but TPS is the only one that offers French AP, for example. In this case, I've spoken to the teacher and I'm comfortable with the class. Truth told, we would have taken it anyway. It seems to be the nature of online providers at this point.

[G5052]

Is it the AP scores? Do the students have on average lower AP scores than PA Homeschoolers? Teachers? I've read that TPS thread regarding customer service. Is it a general preference for someplace else unless there's no choice.

 

That's primary for us. If we are going to pay the $$$, I want a high probability of a good score. For us, paying for an AP class is a stretch but still less than local college tuition if they get the credits.

 

This is our second year with asynchronous, and we like that too although we've done some live classes.

 

Bottom line, for high school I want a proven track record if I'm going to outsource. We went with one provider this year (not AP) that I had only two recommendations on, and it's been really good, but I was nervous.

 

We've outsourced some things in the past that were disasters frankly. 

[MorningGlory]

Asynchronous courses work much better for us, so we never seriously considered TPS.

 

Same for us. If I remember correctly from when I researched this, TPS required extensive in class time still with all the regular outside work typical of an AP course...which is already a lot. I thought it seemed a bit excessive.

 

However, for a foreign language course the in-class time might be more beneficial. My son was only considering math, science, and English AP courses.

 

I agree with G5052, too. AP courses are expensive! We wanted top results. And sure enough, PAH helped my son get the results we were seeking.

[Miss Mousie]

TPS does not work for us because secular is a must.

 

 

This is the key for us, too.  We're still in our first AP class, with PAH, and it's going well.

 

As for the expense, at some point I worked it out to a ballpark figure of $20/week, which feels so much less painful than thinking of it as $600 or so per course.  I've paid more than that for extracurriculars that carried no potential side benefit of saving much more money in college costs down the road!

[crazyforlatin]

Thanks for the responses!

 

What prompted the question has more to do with seeking AP Latin alternatives. I looked for Lukeion alternatives. It seems like most kids who take AP Latin with Lukeion do very well, but I don't think Lukeion makes their statistics public, so I must have read this on the board. Then, I saw that WHA also has AP Latin, but looking at the outcome for Latin and for the money I would have to invest in a WHA class, I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable enrolling DD in their AP Latin. I know a major part of it would have to be DD studying hard, but that's a given for a student at the AP level.

 

Madteaparty, so far I've only found AP French with TPS. I think DD can take this class in 8th grade.

[madteaparty]

Madteaparty, so far I've only found AP French with TPS. I think DD can take this class in 8th grade.

Me too. We are taking the class, if the schedule is ever released and we can sign up for it. It is really a supplement to their french4/5 literature class (also taking). I am reserving judgement on the test until much closer to it. No point in just eaking by.

[crazyforlatin]

Me too. We are taking the class, if the schedule is ever released and we can sign up for it. It is really a supplement to their french4/5 literature class (also taking). I am reserving judgement on the test until much closer to it. No point in just eaking by.

We're taking Landry French 3 in August because I have the cheap credits. It looks lite (just based on the book) which means I would want one more year of French, not sure where yet, and then TPS French 4/5 with AP.

[yvonne]

I think TPS expects to post their schedule on Feb 22, so not too much longer.