April 07, 2020
On March 30, Trevor Packer, Senior Vice President of College Board and Head of Advanced Placement, announced radical changes to AP exams this spring. In response to school closures around the world, College Board decided that it will, in fact, administer AP exams online, but will do so on a reduced scale without sacrificing the importance or the integrity of the subject-based exams. CSS has been following this story as it has evolved, monitored the various channels this news has circulated and is in full support of online AP administration in May.
College Board has worked extensively to revise and restructure the administration of this important assessment. It has done so thoughtfully and concluded that the most equitable approach for all students, some who have lost more instructional time than others, is to assess content that was likely covered by all AP teachers by the beginning of March. This means that certain units historically covered by teachers will be excluded from the 2020 online version. Each of your child’s teachers is aware of this shift and have adjusted their syllabi for the remaining of the year accordingly. Mr. Packer shared that the changes to the AP this spring will not impact how the results are scored and reiterated that College Board is committed to those students who have worked so hard to earn college credit.
Given CSS’s transition to e-Learning, along with thousands of schools across the country, many have asked why tests were not postponed until at least June. A survey was released in March to both students and teachers with that question in mind. The results of that survey revealed that students and teachers overwhelmingly opted for earlier testing dates. The rationale being that they did not want to widen the gap between lessons taught and when testing would take place. Based on survey results, College Board decided that the window for testing will be May 11th through May 22nd, with a make-up window of June 1st through June 5th.
As previously mentioned, APs will be online for 2020. More information will be provided to students in the weeks ahead regarding how they will be able to access their exams. Information about the online format, testing time, question types, and the units covered has been released and is currently available to students. To access this information, please visit College Board/AP website. Additionally, students will find free online resources to help prepare for their exams, including all AP classes that can either be live-streamed or viewed on Advanced Placement’s You Tube Channel through AP approved instructors. It is important to note that these resources are not meant to replace your child’s teacher but merely intended to supplement what they have learned to date.
On a separate but related note, SATs have been canceled through May 2. The College Board is anticipating that June may be the next viable date for testing, but that is contingent upon the current state of affairs. Similar to the AP, College Board has been proactive and has begun to think innovatively about testing alternatives. Naturally, this has colleges and universities thinking about choices they will need to make about testing requirements in the months ahead.
In her email to the Junior class, Director of College Counseling, Katrina Tijerina wrote, “colleges and universities have your interest at hand. In light of ACT and SAT testing cancellations, hundreds of institutions across the country are pivoting to test optional policies.”
Indeed these are challenging times, but please know that we care deeply about the individual success and well-being of each and every CSS student. As we forge ahead, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns. Until then, I wish you and your family my very best.
Warmest regards,
Sam Gaudet
The Colorado Springs School
Associate Head of School
& AP Testing Coordinator
& AP Testing Coordinator
