After watching Stand
and Deliver in class today, I did a little reflecting back on my own
experiences with the AP tests in high school. I related to the rigorous
classwork, the extra time put in after school, and the stress that comes with
taking this test. I wondered exactly how much impact these tests have on
preparing students for college classes so I began to research just what sort of
benefits and deficits the test produces. I found an article that summarizes a
study done at Stanford about AP testing. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/26/study-ap-program-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/]
While reading the article, I stopped at Assumption #2.
"Assumption
#2: The AP program helps to narrow achievement gaps
We
maintain that using the AP program alone as a tool for narrowing the
achievement gap is insufficient. If the AP program is to be used effectively to
help make a difference in underserved schools, it will need to be part of a
broader initiative that includes changes in professional development and the
overall curricular sequence to better prepare students for college-level work."
In class we mentioned that the real life story that we
were watching had never been able to be replicated in another school. Perhaps
this is why. Stanford found that it is extremely difficult to change the
results of a group of students using solely the AP program. Change usually comes
when a variety of groups work together to change the environment that then
helps to change the students inside that environment. Most likely, the students
in the movie would never have been able to catch up to the Calculus level as we
saw them start by working on multiply fractions. The addition of the summer
classes to catch them up would probably have not been sufficient in preparing
them for Calculus. While this story is a heartwarming tale, it just does not
seem accurate and now there is research based evidence as to why it has never
been duplicated. It is simply not enough to change one class with one teacher
if the rest of the school environment does not support the initiative from the
beginning.
I agree that it takes more that just on e teacher in one lass to change a school environment. However, I think that one teacher in one school can be a catalyst for change in many school environments. Think of a light bulb in a dark room: it is useless turned off and no one can see anything but darkness. However, if the small lightbulb is turned on, it can illuminate an entire room. The small light bulb is enough to spread light, and I think similarly a teacher and his attitude can change an entire school by utilizing all it has.
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