[neact] Re: AP Chemistry

I'm college, rather than H.S., Mel, and have my own ideas about the pros and
cons of

AP, but will only address your question, as AP is taught at Lexington HS,
the town in 

which I live, as a 1st course in chem.  

The high school is large enough to have choices for students.  There is a
lot of pressure on 

students in this town, from a variety of sources, to take the more advanced
course(s) 

(in all subjects), to assist them with getting into prestigious colleges and
universities.

If the high school isn't big enough to permit AP and Honors, perhaps there
needs to be

some alternatives, e.g., different expectations for amount of work done and
for exam/lab

performance in an "AP/Honors" course, for those taking it to take the AP
exam vs those 

taking it as Honors students.  

 

...Judith Kelley

 Retired/UML chemistry

 

-----Original Message-----
From: neact-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:neact-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Meledath Govindan
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 12:18 PM
To: neact@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [neact] AP Chemistry

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

Perhaps you can enlighten me regarding my question about AP Chemistry.  I
was of the impression that AP chemistry is generally taught after the
students have taken a year of chemistry.  Is this true?  I know at least one
school system where AP Chemistry is taught in lieu of an Honors Chemistry
and students have been struggling.  As a result, not many are signing up for
that course and dropping down to the next level, where they (otherwise
honors students) are not being challenged.  I would appreciate receiving
some feedback from my HS chemistry colleagues.  Thanks.

 

Mel

 

Meledath Govindan, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry

Fitchburg State College

160 Pearl St. 

Fitchburg, MA 01420

(978)-665-3628 (Office)

(978)-665-3578 (FAX)

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