Giving Compass' Take:

• Sarah Shapiro, writing for The 74, reports on the implications for low-income students if high schools start to eliminate AP courses from their curriculum. 

• The author argues that while AP courses are not perfect, they do offer low-income students the preparation that they would not otherwise receive for college. If AP courses are eliminated, will schools offer different college preparatory classes or programs to students that want (and need) them? 

• Read about new systems that high school districts are looking into that will replace AP courses with high-level projects. 

In June, eight elite private schools in the Washington, D.C., area announced that they would eliminate their Advanced Placement courses. While this policy change directly affects only the students at these eight schools, it could have significant impacts on many more students and inspire other schools to follow suit.

These schools claim that increased AP enrollment across the country devalues it as a factor in college admissions, that fewer colleges are awarding credit for AP work, and that AP courses sacrifice critical thinking and skills building to cover a wide range of material in a yearlong course.

The first claim — that AP courses have become “less noteworthy” because 40 percent of high school students now take these classes — has no evidence to support it.

Second, contrary to the schools’ claims, colleges around the country continue to award credit for AP work. In fact, 19 states require their public colleges and universities to do so.

Finally, the schools argue that AP courses sacrifice skill-based learning for memorization — a complaint that fairly alludes to an overreliance on testing in American education, but one that the College Board, which created and administers the AP program, is working to address.

Unfortunately, these misleading claims have gained some traction, and, if taken at face value, they could persuade other schools to reduce the already limited access that low-income students and students of color have to rigorous, college-preparatory coursework.

These students are already less likely than their more privileged peers to have resources that strengthen college applications, such as International Baccalaureate courses, SAT coaching, and extracurricular activities. While AP courses are certainly not perfect, they provide an important college preparatory pathway that is beneficial for students in low-income and high-income schools alike.

Read the full article about eliminating AP courses in high school by Sarah Shapiro at The 74