After reading the articles and data in the October 17 issue of The Cougar and online, AP Biology teacher Lois Peterson wrote in expressing her thoughts about summer homework. The Cougar welcomes this thorough response and hopes that others will join the conversation. Below are Peterson’s comments.
See the original articles: What Summer Vacation?, I didn’t read Moby Dick, and Summer Homework Data and AP Scores.
In this time of emphasizing competitiveness for the “best of everything” and the academically challenging demands placed upon high school students by colleges and universities, entire enterprises have developed to convince students that they need to excel and take every recognizable demanding course available. This burden can be overwhelming for most human beings. It would be wonderful to go back to a simpler time when students could progress through courses offered at the high school level and enjoy learning and developing study skills useful during college years and beyond.
Since it is becoming increasingly difficult to return to the “good old days”, hopefully we can discuss the need for summer work in most AP classes from the perspective of the course expectations presented to teachers in “The College Board Course Description Outline”. Such an outline is available for each AP teacher.
Aside from the heavy demands of an AP course, it is worth noting than many high schools (particularly in Texas and in the South) begin their new school year in late July or early August and some California schools begin their school year in mid-August. These schools provide the advantage of an early “head start” for their AP students and we in the Albany schools are at a time disadvantage. Many big city schools throughout the country have schedules similar to Albany High School and may even begin their school year in the old traditional after Labor Day time frame.
Teachers from all over the country have expressed concern about these time disadvantages at the AP Biology Reading (*) for years. Two years ago, during the AP Biology Reading, the College Board representatives held a meeting and took surveys about establishing two different testing dates to accommodate the difficulty of completing all of the AP Biology subject matter by early May.
(*)The Reading is the time when the week-long process of grading AP Biology essays or FRQs takes place. Typically, approximately four hundred Readers gather from this country and beyond. Approximately two hundred high school biology teachers are present and attend various meetings and have opportunities to listen to timely lectures – after a day of reading and grading essay answers from approximately 140,000 AP Biology students.
AP Biology teachers were hopeful that The College Board was finally hearing our frustrations about too much material and too early testing dates and then our hopes were dashed. The College Board decided to drop the plan for two testing dates – apparently it would be too complicated to create equal value essay questions and too difficult to establish different grading times. This modification might take place in the future – but, unfortunately, things seem to move very slowly in the world of education.
So – especially with our Block Schedule (which is quite desirable to all involved) – we have less direct contact time with students in class – it becomes vital to expect students to complete a great deal of work outside of class time. Ultimately, students need to process the information and concepts that are being studied in any AP class. Students need to internalize the subject matter and make it their own.
The Cougar’s October 17th issue had many valid points about the burden of so much summer work, especially in AP classes. Teachers are assigning this work to give students a head start on developing their study skills to an AP level and most students seem to accept that as a realistic preparation for their year in an AP course.
The article mentioned that some students in “AP Chemistry and AP Bio said that they used someone else’s homework to complete their own”. That is very possible – but the reality is that students who copy the work of other students are not really learning the material themselves – whether during the summer or during the school year. To really be prepared to take the AP Exam in early May – students need to be thinking about biology concepts directly; this is not an easy challenge because many areas are covered in great depth (for example, there are five chapters on various aspects of DNA studies in our textbook).
Most students taking AP courses are doing so because they realize that this will be a “perk” in their college application process.
Note that approximately 70% of all students in last year’s four AP Bio classes decided to actually take the exam. Those who decided not to take the Exam made their own individual decisions and those who took the exam and successfully passed can be proud of their accomplishment.
The Cougar article compared CPS students to AHS students. I believe that is not a valid comparison in the sense that there is a competitive application process to become a CPS student. A private school with small classes and a great deal of individual student attention and resources is not the same as our public school (which I prefer as a teacher). At AHS we try to make AP courses available to any student who is ready to take on that challenge.
All students who apply their abilities in any AP course should be better prepared for a realistic beginning to their college years, whether they have taken the Exam or not. Typically, it is assumed that if students are really making a solid effort throughout the school year then they should take the May Exam. Many high schools require that commitment early in the school year. I believe that colleges value that “follow through” on the part of students as well.
Please realize that your teachers are working to prepare for your classes to be as worthwhile as possible and any work assigned is to benefit our students – with our goal being to encourage students to value their own academic growth. I wish that all students could really take classes they found interesting and worthwhile for their own interests and goals in life.
Our job, as AP teachers, is to prepare our students realistically for that May Exam – hopefully with the spirit of the joy of learning not dampened in the process.
It’s a rough situation all around. It’s a struggle for teachers to present all the curriculum, and it’s a struggle for students to absorb it all.
I banged out the AP Bio summer homework in the last week before the due date. I can’t blame anyone but myself for procrastinating like that. The thing is, that’s how high schoolers work. By the time I sat down to do all eleven chapters it was too late to do them “effectively” … As in, I just powered through them and didn’t absorb much, knowing that was the only way to finish it all on time.
I think if there had been less volume, I would have actually learned more. I think a lot of students can say the same. If there had been less, I would have really absorbed it, as opposed to glossing over a lot of material.
One positive thing that came out of that experience is knowledge of my limitations. Not every piece of homework can be accomplished in one sitting, no matter how much of a genius you are. If I were to do it again, I have a feeling I’d space it out more. That mindset will help in college and life, no doubt. But does this offset the fact that I didn’t learn anything from the summer homework this time around? Not sure…
Another option could be multiple due dates. Smaller chunks are always better.
i completely agree with ms peterson. i took ap bio two years ago and, at the time, i thought the summer homework was pointless and a waste of time. however, looking back, i realize that it really isn’t that bad. while it is inconvenient and somewhat excessive, i feel that summer hw is necessary. the people that complain about having to work over the summer shouldn’t take the ap class. it really isn’t that difficult to complete the assignments if you start early and don’t procrastinate. the fact is that if you take an ap class, you are going to working harder than your peers during the school year, so you might as well accept the fact that you’re going to be working harder than your peers during the summer as well. if you are overwhelmed by your work over the summer, there is a very good chance that you will be overwhelmed during the school year as well and you probably shouldn’t be taking the class in the first place. many albany high school students (myself included) are always looking for something to complain about regarding their education when really we should be happy for the excellent education we are given for free.
I agree with the multiple due dates idea. I am taking AP Comparative Government and AP English this year and both of those classes have assignments due throughout the summer. That might be a better way to reduce the pain and suffering–because lord knows no one listens to that note all teachers put on the bottom of their assignments saying, “Don’t procrastinate, it only makes things worse.”
Heh. If only we were that organized.
forget Ap classes, regular bio looks cooler for colleges
Let’s get a few things straight.
#1: People always talk about other states/countries having more rigorous/better schools. That may bet true but california produces more wealthy people than any other place on the planet.
#2: the truth of the matter is that albany is superior to almost every private school. I got accepted into all the good private high schools but chose to go to albany because it was more reliable, real, and less quirky
#3: Nobody takes AP classes because they’re interested in the subject
#4: Teachers feed you a stream of BS that they are more qualified than community college teachers and that AP classes are college level. This is libel, slander, and fraud. 99% of high school teachers would teach at college if they were qualified. who wouldn’t want double the pay and half the hours
#5: Plagiarism is rampant at albany high. I have personally written perhaps three dozen papers for my friends because I am a better writer and they’re pressed for time. I have personally helped many people get that one problem that they needed right. It gives me pleasure to take proteges, teach them to think for themselves, and stick it to the system
#6: It was a personal choice of mine not to go to AP bio. Why? Because I know that I’m going to Cal the way that teachers try to cover up, CCs. The easier and more effective way
#7: Community college classes mean more on college apps than AP classes
#8: By GPA I am an average student, but you’d be hard pressed to find a person who didn’t consider me the smartest individual they know
#9: Summer homework is fine if it builds on something you already know. But who are we kidding? It’s just to get kids to teach themselves stuff so that more stuff can get crammed into their skulls.
#10: In all honors classes I have taken, the general arc of the class is
A) explain homework
B) assign homework that you need to read the chapter to find out how to do
there is no teaching, only teach yourself then review
#11: School is designed by those in power to keep people effective and off the streets but to discourage critical thinking. The government was elected by those without critical thinking so obviously they want the youth to grow up without it
All eleven of these points are valid and I dare any teacher/administrator to attempt to argue against any of these claims at reincarnationofeinstein@yahoo.com
I love Homework, I dont see what everyone is complaining about.
yea
i only take ap/honnors classes that i am actually interested in, so stop gerneralizing “sick of cliches”. also the only honnors class i have ever been in was alot of fun, and we didn’t ahve mindless homework like you where saying. so sit down and shut up, you don’t know everything
to sick of cliches:
Are you serious? Your comment is either hilarious or infuriating… let’s take it on point by point as the latter:
1)So… California produces more wealthy people… so that matters why exactly? Let’s check on who produces the most a)happy, b) generous, c) responsible, d)…
Either way, the quality of primary and secondary education is not necessarily the producer of effect x.
2)anecdotal evidence? wow, that’s great. Since youuu decided to go to Albany, it must be the best.
3)I take AP classes because I’m interested in the subject. So the statement that “nobody…” does is wrong.
4)Personally, only about a quarter of my teachers have made claims such as the ones you cite. But even so, some teachers, however qualified they might be to teach at higher levels, might just enjoy working with high school students. Sounds crazy, right? People doing what they enjoy? Again, some teachers would love, I’m sure, to teach at college level. But high school is a time of change and many teachers are drawn to the impact they can make on a student and the growth they can see in them.
5) Well, that’s nice that you’re so willing to plagiarize. Yes, it is rampant at Albany High. But why are you bragging about it?
6) no issues here
9) no issues here
10) Yeah, some teachers aren’t talented and so it’s more productive to teach yourself the material. But sometimes it’s nice to have the material taught. It depends on the person and the teacher.
11) I tend to go by the belief that the majority of the population means well. So they don’t create systems (on purpose!) that deprive their prodigy of a chance at improvement. But let’s go by you’re theory: it’s all a conspiracy to keep the people down! That’s bs. The education system in no way discourages critical thinking. It is up to each indivual to think critically or to follow the generally accepted dogma. If you want to say that someone is depriving youth of critical thinking skills, blame the families. Thought patterns are formed at a very young age (although they can obviously be changed).
Number #4 is off the mark. High school teachers have different skills (they have to put up with smart!@# high schoolers in class by law) than college instructors so it’s apples and oranges. I have never heard a teacher claim they were “good enough” or “better” than a college teacher. It’s not even on the table, to think in that manner. As for content, it’s quite possible that the course approaches college level. In my experience, having done both, college courses cover similar material as high level HS course, just much faster and with much greater expectation of the student in the form of homework, papers, etc.
My son has/had several excellent instructors at AHS. Interestingly, several were those who came from different careers, much later to teaching. They were infinitely more engaged and engaging than my college instructors.
Thanks for an interesting discussion, though.
I took AP Bio with Ms. Peterson last year and the summer before it began, we were loaded down with a ton of packets to be completed by a given day before school started. These packets were centered around a certain chapter with a lot of diagrams and blanks to fill. I spent my whole summer working on those packets to make sure I got everything right while some thing I just couldn’t find.
The first day of school a friend of mine told me that he did it all the day before it was due just filling in random answers.
I never thought this would fly and I thought he’d be kicked out of the class. Guess what, his grade was higher then mine and I worked hard on them.
Everybody I know who is taking or has taken an AP Class hated it and didn’t do it because they wanted to.
Anytime we talked about it, it would always be, “At least it will look good on my college APP.”
OMG I LOVE MS PETERSON! SHE IS SO FUNNY!!!
At first I was excited to see Ms. Peterson’s response to the article. I was hoping she would address the point of why Albany AP bio has summer work but Berkeley and El Cerrito scoff at the idea. She did not. I understand the point for developing study skills, however these skills could easily be developed without the excessive amount of work; which neeeded to be reviewed during school anyway because of the amount of time that had elapsed since we had done the summer work. With that and english honors in my junior year summer, I was swamped and miserable.
If I had really done the summer homework (the ones on plants) I would have received a 5 on the AP exam. But I hate summer HW so iono. . .