NEAT > For Parents > At School > Achievement Gap > About Both > Parsing Saint Paul > Rigor of Curriculum	Print View

NEAT would like to see the disaggregated trend data on not only the number of students taking challenge courses (IB, AP, Quest, etc.), but by number of courses being taken, one course v. full schedule, especially (perhaps only) core - math, science, social studies, English. 

It's one thing for a student to take one challenging course (sampling) and another to sign up for the whole boatload.  We realize there's some complexity in comparing between schools, but looking at core classes could be more manageable.  Related to the spring 2004 Honors/Distinction study group and conversation about Achievement Gap/not encouraging some students to take challenging courses.

11/09/04 - Information Provided by Central HS parent, Jeff Koon
It is bad to use the [AP] test pass rate for accountability-related purposes, esp.
in the St. Paul context, because it would give schools incentives to discourage AP course-taking by minorities and low SES students, and give schools incentives to discourage AP test-taking by any students who didn't do extremely well in the AP courses. 

Interestingly enough, however, the building pass rate, that I do recommend, is ultimately based on the number of students passing the test (relative to the number of juniors & seniors in the building) and thus it DOES give credit for passing the tests—but it does NOT penalize or discourage schools/students from taking the courses, or tests, or from failing to pass the latter.  So it is thoroughly in the
ballpark of encouraging students to try the courses, try the tests/learn about college-level expectations, yet values success on the tests as well.