Discusses statistics that indicate an increase in minority participation in Advanced Placement Program classes. Minority students' scores have also improved, allowing them to qualify for course slots at colleges. The implications of minority students' newfound fascination with technological studies is discussed. (JS)

Synthesizes existing, isolated bits of information on U.S. secondary student enrollment in advanced science courses. Among the findings for grades 10, 11, and 12, the percentage of those students enrolled in Advanced Biology is 20, 26, and 54. Advanced Chemistry is 0, 33, and 67; and Advanced Physics is 0, 10, and 90. (PR)

Explores the development of the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history test and reviews its grading process for consistency and fairness. Examines the efforts taken to ensure compatibility with college-level U.S. history survey courses. (CMK)

Describes an Advanced Placement (AP) European history course in a multiethnic, urban school. Provides information on the course and a discussion on teaching strategies, materials, and testing methods. Includes student comments on AP European history versus AP world history. (CMK)

Discusses the debates concerning (1) content and process in social studies and history and (2) testing and standards in California, noting that Advanced Placement (AP) courses demand a high scholarly standard. Focuses on the AP European history course and examination, addressing history as interpretation, teaching analytical essay writing, and AP…

College-based programs that motivate underachieving teenagers to graduate and pursue further education is part of a menu of initiatives Guilford County, North Carolina, has introduced to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students in its middle and high schools, where racial and ethnic diversity and poverty have been on the rise. As…

For teaching gifted and other high-ability learners, the idea that understanding is more significant than knowing is nearly a no-brainer. Teachers are continuously looking for ways to raise the intellectual bar through classroom challenges that push these learners to extend beyond the factual knowledge base that is often the measuring stick of…

Rockville Centre is a diverse, suburban school district serving approximately 3,500 students. Since 1981, the school has offered the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. The IB diploma, which began in Rockville Centre as a gifted and talented program, is a comprehensive and challenging course of study in all subject areas. In this article,…

This paper examines whether the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a magnet school in its second year of operation, has improved equity of opportunities for Maine students to participate in advanced mathematics and science courses. Data on per pupil expenditures, state aid to school districts, and course offerings were obtained from the…

The comments of a student new to Advanced Placement courses convinced a teacher of Advanced Placement English that opening up her class to all students was not enough--the teacher had to learn how to teach an untracked English class. Three basic strategies for teaching the class took shape: the teacher spent a great deal of time modeling tasks;…

This paper discusses the assumptions required by the item response theory (IRT) true-score equating method (with Stocking & Lord, 1983; scaling approach), which is commonly used in the nonequivalent groups with an anchor data-collection design. More precisely, this paper investigates the assumptions made at each step by the IRT approach to…

The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) biology program is explained and options within it are explored in this guide for teachers. Experienced AP biology teachers were surveyed for information concerning approaches that were effective in their programs. Descriptions and suggestions from the 14 respondents are reported in the area of: (1)…

The reasons academically gifted high school seniors select institutions of higher education and their interest in precollege, university-level courses were studied. Gifted seniors in the Tucson Unified School District were mailed the Higher Education Orientation Inventory (HEOI), an adaptation of the Graduate Student Satisfaction Questionnaire.…

Graduates of the Mesa Public Schools Advanced Placement (A/P) program were surveyed to determine: (1) their attitudes toward their experience in the program; (2) college credits received for their A/P classes; and (3) their suggestions for A/P program improvement. A/P courses, offered within the regular curriculum, have grown significantly since…

A random sample of 100 students who had participated in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) at DeKalb Community College (Georgia) was compared with 100 non-CLEP students on factors of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, grade point average, academic units earned, and age. CLEP students averaged a SAT verbal score of 560 and 490 on math…