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Annual AP exam commiseration thread, 2017 edition


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I am sorry to hear what you had to go through. Since my family have a great relationship with this counselor lady at the school district, I've been thinking that we are pretty 'safe' when it comes to tests. Last month I was told that soon she will retire and another guy will take over her job. I haven't met him, but thinking about starting a whole new network is not what I necessarily wanted. I guess you just have prepare for the worst, sadly. 

 

I wonder how much HSDLA is "interested" in this case. 

 

This!  This happened to me this year.  Last year my dd took her AP at a local public high school, but the guy in charge of us outsiders moved to another job at the school.  His replacement never responded to my multiple emails, so I had to look for another school this year.  

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That would make so much sense to have one of those in every big city. Maybe on a few Saturdays in a convention center.

If you look at the dates, they still follow the AP testing calendar. That is one of the big problems for testing centers in the US. Exams have to be given within a very tight time window.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Here's my update. I "think" I have everything scheduled - out of state. I've talked to over 40 schools in the process of getting my AP tests scheduled this year.

Edited to add that the four exams are scheduled through three different schools as I couldn't find one to do them all.

 

 

 

Updating again on my AP saga.

 

This year, I was looking for four less common AP exams. I called my local public schools where we tested in past years and who have been friendly toward testing homeschoolers for years. I was able to arrange three of my four tests in Jan. at two local schools and I registered online and paid in early Feb. My fourth was much more difficult to arrange, but with jumping through a bunch of hoops, I found a small town school willing to give it to us. In mid- Feb., I received an email stating that my 3 local tests had been cancelled and refunded. UGH!!! Some upper level person decided to send out instructions district wide (in large city, KY) to the schools to not test homeschoolers. I was registered through two different local schools and they both cancelled my tests. After calling 40 schools, I ended up arranging my other three tests out of state.

 

I sent out some nice letters advocating that the school system work with homeschoolers to give tests such as AP tests that must be done in the school system. They basically replied that I had given up all legal rights to the schools as soon as I decided to homeschool.

 

Fast forward to the past week. The newspaper has called and asked to run my story. The school district has called saying they'd now be "happy" to accommodate my students for the tests cancelled. I now have my tests scheduled at the original schools I registered through, but still need to cancel my out of state tests. 

 

The school system has been very clear that they have no intention of testing homeschoolers next year.

 

Every time I think I have it all arranged something new happens. 

 

Julie

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wow, what a saga! i can't believe they cancelled you mid-february. talk about brutal. good for you taking it as high as you needed to go - sometimes they just need a push to get something done. we were originally told no in december by our local high school - then b/c we had a growing relationship with the local HS principal, he advocated on my ds's part and got us in for the test. it is ridiculous the hoops we have to go through!

 

good job, julie - getting it done!

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wow, what a saga! i can't believe they cancelled you mid-february. talk about brutal. good for you taking it as high as you needed to go - sometimes they just need a push to get something done. we were originally told no in december by our local high school - then b/c we had a growing relationship with the local HS principal, he advocated on my ds's part and got us in for the test. it is ridiculous the hoops we have to go through!

 

good job, julie - getting it done!

 

I never dreamed that they'd actually change their minds this year since there were so many people involved saying no. I was really trying to advocate for the testing situation for next year. I don't think they liked the idea of the newspaper publishing my story of my tests being cancelled.

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Has everyone nailed down testing sites fir this year's exams?

 

I decided to not even try to find a school near us. D will be taking her exams at the same school as last year about an hour away. They use Total Registration---so easy to register and pay online!

 

D is just taking 3 this year--US Gov and both econs.

 

Sailor Dude said to tell her, she'll do great!

 

Micro is very straight-forward and didn't require a ton of extra study. He thought that was the easiest of all the tests he took.

 

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I never dreamed that they'd actually change their minds this year since there were so many people involved saying no.

My husband would worry about mean staff taking it out on our kids on the actual day. However my local schools have not tackled bullying issues so our expectations are way low.

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Updating again on my AP saga.

 

This year, I was looking for four less common AP exams. I called my local public schools where we tested in past years and who have been friendly toward testing homeschoolers for years. I was able to arrange three of my four tests in Jan. at two local schools and I registered online and paid in early Feb. My fourth was much more difficult to arrange, but with jumping through a bunch of hoops, I found a small town school willing to give it to us. In mid- Feb., I received an email stating that my 3 local tests had been cancelled and refunded. UGH!!! Some upper level person decided to send out instructions district wide (in large city, KY) to the schools to not test homeschoolers. I was registered through two different local schools and they both cancelled my tests. After calling 40 schools, I ended up arranging my other three tests out of state.

 

I sent out some nice letters advocating that the school system work with homeschoolers to give tests such as AP tests that must be done in the school system. They basically replied that I had given up all legal rights to the schools as soon as I decided to homeschool.

 

Fast forward to the past week. The newspaper has called and asked to run my story. The school district has called saying they'd now be "happy" to accommodate my students for the tests cancelled. I now have my tests scheduled at the original schools I registered through, but still need to cancel my out of state tests. 

 

The school system has been very clear that they have no intention of testing homeschoolers next year.

 

Every time I think I have it all arranged something new happens. 

 

Julie

 

Oh Julie, I am so sorry.  We had the district problem after the first year of testing. Thankfully, another district was able to accommodate us for the next two years.  I was so grateful that I asked them how they were doing on science equipment like beakers and test tubes. They said they always had a shortage, so I dropped off about $400 worth of equipment in great shape. I sent letters to several people in the district and told them the difference their generosity made for our son's education and then I sent the nasty letter to our district.  I was seriously pissed that we've paid taxes here for 25+ years, with two older kids who graduated from the high school, and that I volunteered 100s of hours in district for over 9 years and we couldn't get a test.

 

 

 

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My husband would worry about mean staff taking it out on our kids on the actual day. However my local schools have not tackled bullying issues so our expectations are way low.

 

I'm not as worried about the specific schools as we've always tested through them. It's higher up in the school district that has passed down the word not to test homeschoolers. 

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That would make so much sense to have one of those in every big city.   Maybe on a few Saturdays in a convention center.  

that would not work they would have to create multiple copies of the exam - cheating is too easy these days

everyone takes it the same day is the best

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Victory!

 

Found a nearby HS that offers the AP exams (any exam you like) to the kids from the district's distance learning HS.  They were SUPER helpful.  I had to mail them a check and they ordered the test for us. (it sounds like they used to have a web-page and you could just pick them yourself.)

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