AP Tests

Is the number of students taking AP exams a valid way to compare high schools? The names of the top hundred highs schools were published by Newsweek. The high schools were compared by the number of students who took the AP exam. The number of students passing or failing the exam is irrelevant. All that counts is how many students take it. The Newsweek article stated that some people supported this ranking while others thought it was an insufficient way to compare the schools.

The AP test is a valid way to compare the high schools for several reasons. The AP test is optional, which means the students have to take the initiative to take it. The students who take the test are diligent and have motivation. The Newsweek article stated that through two studies, researchers have found students who took the test and failed still had better college-graduation rates that those students who did not even attempt to take it. The researchers explained that it is the student's decision to take the test. If many students take the test, then it shows that they are responding to challenges just by taking the initaitive to show up for the test. By comparing the high schools with the number of students who take the exam, one can see which high schools are challenging the students to work hard. The high school with the higest number or students takign the test is regarded as the high school that is successfully preparing their students for college.

On the other hand, the AP tests are only one aspect of the high school. Not all students take the test since it is optional. If only one-fourth of the students in the school are actually taking the test, then that school is not going to be correctly represented. Some students are bad test-takers so they are not going to be interested in taking another optional test. Other students who could be extremely intelligent might not feel the need to take the test. The schools have other academic options so taking one aspect of the school is not a reasonable comparison. If the school does not have many available time slots for the students to take the test, then the number or students could be low as well. The high schools contain a variety of academics and other programs. Many others should be taken in consideration when comparing the schools.

Figuring out how to compare any type of school would require intense thinking. High schools are all different and each one has something unique about them. Comparing the schools by AP tests or any other test would cause some kind of controversy. The students are going to perform at different levels and it is important to have a good representation of your school. If the school is being compared by an activity in which they do not have good representation then naturally they would object. As long as each school is being judged by the same criteria then the outcome will show what strength that school has.