Passing scores on AP/IB course for DFW schools (Dallas: 2015, credit)

[CookieBoss80]

Now this is a solid indication of how well one school is doing compared to others.

Dallas, Texas Area School Information: 2014-2015 AB/IB Math - Percent of Students "Passing" Exam

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by CookieBoss80

Now this is a solid indication of how well one school is doing compared to others.

Dallas, Texas Area School Information: 2014-2015 AB/IB Math - Percent of Students "Passing" Exam

This was posted months ago and discussed. But it needs to be taken in context. For example, systems like DISD that pay for the tests on behalf of students will always have lower pass rates than systems that make the families pay out of pocket. If you're woefully unprepared for a test, you're not likely to take the exam if you have to pay for it. This is true even in places like HPISD or Southlake where the fees for the AP tests are meaningless to a family's bottom line.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by CookieBoss80

Now this is a solid indication of how well one school is doing compared to others.

Dallas, Texas Area School Information: 2014-2015 AB/IB Math - Percent of Students "Passing" Exam

It's actually not a good indication of school performance for two reasons:

1. Some school districts don't allow all AP students to take AP exams to inflate the school's pass rate

2. Some schools allow students to take AP exams even if they didn't take the AP class. Students may gamble the exam fee to see if they can rack up more college credit hours.


I'm not sure if the same is true for IB exams. Hopefully someone in an IB program can chime in.

[CookieBoss80]

Everyone can take AP courses, districts can't control that. However, they can limit AP classes to ones who qualify. Otherwise it's just waste of time for teachers and serious students if majority isn't even eligible for honors level, let alone AP. Same with IB though not many can pass IB exams by self study. IB students take extra APs instead.

[Soonhun]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

This was posted months ago and discussed. But it needs to be taken in context. For example, systems like DISD that pay for the tests on behalf of students will always have lower pass rates than systems that make the families pay out of pocket. If you're woefully unprepared for a test, you're not likely to take the exam if you have to pay for it. This is true even in places like HPISD or Southlake where the fees for the AP tests are meaningless to a family's bottom line.

Wait, are you saying that DISD pays the fees for all students who want to take the test or that some districts don't pay for the ones who cannot financially afford so (such as those on reduced lunch)?

[CookieBoss80]

Plano and Frisco pay all expenses including AP/PSAT/SAT fee for economically disadvantaged/reduced/free meal students.

[Beaching]

You can only take an IB test if you took that IB class.
IB students can take AP tests as well as the IB test.

Some districts pay for the students to take IB and AP tests.
Some only pay for a limited number.
Other districts only allow those that took the class to take the test.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by CookieBoss80

Everyone can take AP courses, districts can't control that. However, they can limit AP classes to ones who qualify. Otherwise it's just waste of time for teachers and serious students if majority isn't even eligible for honors level, let alone AP. Same with IB though not many can pass IB exams by self study. IB students take extra APs instead.

Nope, several local districts actually DON'T allow AP class students to sit for the AP exam unless the teacher approves - they don't want kids making a C in AP Calc to fail the AP exam and make the school look bad. At least one Frisco high school had this very policy published on their public website as recently as 4-5 years ago (I hear that is not the case anymore, but it WAS.). There are other schools & districts with the same policy in place; if I have time later today I'll dig around and see which ones are still screening AP kids out of the AP exams.

[stephwin]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Nope, several local districts actually DON'T allow AP class students to sit for the AP exam unless the teacher approves - they don't want kids making a C in AP Calc to fail the AP exam and make the school look bad. At least one Frisco high school had this very policy published on their public website as recently as 4-5 years ago (I hear that is not the case anymore, but it WAS.). There are other schools & districts with the same policy in place; if I have time later today I'll dig around and see which ones are still screening AP kids out of the AP exams.

Is it common place for most schools to approve which students can even take the AP classes? I know at my school we had to be "approved" if you will to take AP courses in high school, particularly the English course. It was usually at the recommendation of the previous year's teacher, plus the kids obviously had to have the desire to take the course as well. And then the expectation was that everyone in the AP English class was to take the AP exam. We weren't forced to, but it was strongly recommended and my school paid for it anyway. If I remember correctly they would pay for 2 exams a year.

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by Parhe

Wait, are you saying that DISD pays the fees for all students who want to take the test or that some districts don't pay for the ones who cannot financially afford so (such as those on reduced lunch)?

Most (maybe all?) districts pay for kids who are on reduced lunch. However, it's a question of the culture of the district. DISD encourages every kid in the AP class to take the exam, regardless of likely outcome (which at some level I don't agree with, but I see why they do it). In districts that make students pay out of pocket, the culture is one that says only students who are ready for the exam should sign up for it. That is true even for kids whose family incomes would qualify them for free or reduced price exams.