Gilroy High School’s Advance Placement exam test results are
quite a mixed bag.
Gilroy High School’s Advance Placement exam test results are quite a mixed bag.

On the positive side, hearty congratulations to teachers and students in AP U.S. Government, AP English Literature and AP Macroeconomics for matching or surpassing that national passing rate for these classes. Kudos also go to the teachers and students in AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature and AP Environmental Science for posting scores near the national passing rate.

But the remaining classes’ passing rates are abysmal when compared to the national passing rates. In AP Calculus, only 6 percent of the Gilroy High School students who took the test passed, compared to 66 percent across the country. Just 12 percent of GHS’s AP Statistics students who took the exam passed, compared to 62 percent nationwide. In AP U.S. History, only 15 percent of the GHS students who took the test passed, compared to 52 percent nationwide. Biology and English Language AP scores fared somewhat better, but still register in the disappointing range.

This leads us to several recommendations. First, check successful AP teachers to find out what techniques they’re using to post high passing rates. Granted, not every technique from U.S. Government will be applicable to Calculus, but many will.

Second, check the curricula being used. Does it align tightly to what the AP examination tests? If not, replace it with the most closely aligned curricula available.

Third, check the grades being given in the classes with low pass rates. Does a higher percentage of students get As than passes the test? Earning an A ought to mean the student can pass the AP exam, and if these numbers are seriously out of whack, it indicates a teacher whose grading criteria need heavy revision.

Fourth, check the teacher. One off year is understandable, but any AP teacher who consistently produces students who are scoring significantly lower than the national pass rate probably needs a different teaching assignment. The students, parents, faculty and taxpayers of this community deserve to have teachers in AP classrooms who can teach AP material to AP students. The pass rate of a teacher over a number of years is a fair and appropriate measure of a teacher’s ability in this area.

When we think about it, it all comes back to accountability. The district’s accountability plan gives clear direction on how to improve AP scores, and most of those are included in our four-pronged action plan.

It behooves GHS and GUSD administrators to set about correcting the AP scoring issue on all fronts: curricula, teaching practices, grades, teaching ability. It behooves the community to insist that they do it.

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