Sophomores don't have AP classes since there are not enough students to fill these classes up. Instead, they are given accelerated classes. Some Juniors that are not ready for AP classes can take Honors classes. Accelerated, Honors, and AP classes are very similar curriculum and the speed of the class, yet these classes affect student's GPAs differently and supply different amounts of leverage when applying to college. Accelerated classes have no affect on GPA, but they give a slight edge over students in mainstream classes. Some school districts boost GPA for passed honors classes, unfortunatly San Jose Unified doesn't. AP classes have college approved curriculum, so students get college credit.
Unfortunatly, many students choose not to take AP classessince some students do not want to attend a four year college. Despite this, AP classes are open enrollment or any GPA screening. This means that regardless of what classes a student has taken he/she can still sign up for an AP class if he/she is willng to work diligintly. Another reason some students decide not to take AP classes is the $85 dollar fee required to take the AP test. Many students beilive that this charge is unreasonable. "Why should we have to pay for the test after we have already completed the course?" asks Gunderson senior Leonel Guzman. Assistant Principle of Guidance Jeannet Harding says, "It costs alot of money to process the tests".
1 comment:
Okay, Char-less. Revision time. It seems that the general consensus of the Paw Print staff is that, while your article supplies a wealth of information, it could use a bit of organization. I suggest (and feel free to take or leave my advice) that you start with an outline that looks something like this:
I. Lead paragraph, in which you state the current state of affairs regarding advanced placement classes at Gunderson: how many are offered, how many were offered in previous years, and some general reasons for the decline. Keep it brief, don't be overly negative, and get the readers attention- this is probably one of our most important stories, but has great potential to be quite boring.
II. First body paragraph: Reasons for lack of AP
A. Student hesitance
1. Lack of interest in 4-year institutions
2. Concerns about difficulty of classes
a. Open to all, regardless of GPA
3. Prohibitive testing fees
a. Harding quote about processing fees
B. In the case of sophomores
1. Insufficient interest from students
2. General lack of AP offerings for sophomores
III. Second body paragraph: Differences between advanced placement, accelerated, and honors classes
A. Similar curriculum, though not the same
B. Comparable pacing
C. Affect GPAs differently
1. How, exactly?
D. "Leverage" for college
1. Be specific
IV. Conclusion: Here, you might end with action steps students might take to expand students' AP options in years to come- do we know what the process for that might be? This would be a good question to send as a follow-up to Harding, or to Castro or Quinn. I think it would be a fair, balanced, and uplifiting way to end your piece.
Also: spell things correctly.
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