ii

Advanced PlacementPrograms Subcommittee

Final Reportto the

Interim Joint Committeeon Education

2001 SCR 2

Research Memorandum No. 494

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSIONFrankfort, Kentucky

April 2002

iv

Advanced PlacementPrograms Subcommittee

Final Reportto the

Interim Joint Committeeon Education

2001 SCR 2

Subcommittee MembersSenator Brett Guthrie, Co-Chair

Representative Frank Rasche, Co-ChairRepresentative Mike Cherry

Senator Alice Forgy KerrSenator Tim Shaughnessy

Representative Arnold SimpsonRepresentative Mark TreeshSenator Johnny Ray Turner

Senator Lindy Casebier, Ex-Officio

LRC Staff: Evelyn Gibson

Research Memorandum No. 494

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSIONFrankfort, Kentucky

April 2002

Paid for from state funds.Available in alternative form upon request.

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i

SENATE MEMBERS

David L. WilliamsPresident, LRC Co-Chair

Richard L. Roeding President Pro Tem

HOUSE MEMBERS

Jody RichardsSpeaker, LRC Co-Chair

Larry ClarkSpeaker Pro Tem

Dan Kelly Majority Floor Leader LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSION Gregory D. Stumbo

Majority Floor LeaderDavid K. Karem

Minority Floor LeaderState Capitol 700 Capital Avenue Frankfort KY 40601 Jeffrey Hoover

Minority Floor LeaderCharlie Borders

Majority Caucus Chairman502/564-8100 Jim Callahan

Majority Caucus Chairman

David E. Boswell Minority Caucus Chairman

Capitol FAX 502-223-5094Annex FAX 502-564-6543

Bob DeWeese Minority Caucus Chairman

Elizabeth Tori Majority Whip

www.lrc.state.ky.us/home.htm Joe Barrows Majority Whip

Marshall LongMinority Whip

Robert ShermanDirector

Woody Allen Minority Whip

TO: Senator Lindy Casebier, Co-ChairRepresentative Frank Rasche, Co-ChairInterim Joint Committee on Education

FROM: Senator Brett Guthrie, Co-ChairRepresentative Frank Rasche, Co-ChairSubcommittee on Advanced Placement Programs

DATE: February 20, 2002

RE: Recommendations on Advanced Placement Program in Kentucky Public Schools

Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution 2, the Subcommittee on Advanced Placement Programs inKentucky public schools respectfully submits its report and the following recommendations:

Recommendations

Enact legislation – 2002 Regular Session to:? Define “advanced placement,” “dual enrollment,” and “dual credit”;

? Appropriate funds to the Kentucky Department of Education and the Council on PostsecondaryEducation for developing information about and providing professional development whichdemonstrates the Kentucky Virtual High School and the Kentucky Virtual University.

Require the Kentucky Department of Education to:? Standardize advanced placement core curriculum content, teaching methods, data collection, and

reporting by developing the “Kentucky Virtual AP Academy” prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Identify current and future funding sources and other resources that can be directed toward advancedplacement, dual enrollment, or dual credit programs prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Compare costs of offering advanced placement courses through traditional classroom instruction, theKentucky Virtual High School, and other methods and assist school districts in analyzing how theycan most cost-effectively offer advanced placement courses prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

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? Expand advanced placement teacher institutes and other professional development for these coursesprior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Define or modify existing definitions of “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” to reflect statutorydefinitions and work with the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Education ProfessionalStandards Board to develop guidelines for content knowledge and teacher training in dual enrollmentor dual credit programs offered in Kentucky, prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

Require local school districts to:? Offer credit toward high school graduation to non-high school students who complete high school

courses at the same level of performance as required of high school students when non-high schoolstudents take those courses before enrolling in high school, prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Provide credit for all Kentucky Virtual High School courses taken by students from their district forcredit and to use those grades in the calculation of student grade point averages, making nodifferentiation between courses taken via KVHS or on-site, prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Pay tuition for students from their district who are enrolled in Kentucky Virtual High School coursesfor credit through some proportionate sharing of Average Daily Attendance funds or other fundingsources, prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Provide the Kentucky Department of Education with information about the number ofstudents participating in advanced placement courses; the race, gender, and economic statusof advanced placement students; the number of faculty members teaching advancedplacement courses; the types of advanced placement courses being taught; testing outcomesfor participating students; the methods used to teach these courses; and the methods used toadvise students and parents about the availability of these courses.

Require school-based decision-making councils to:? Offer a core advanced placement curriculum, dual enrollment, dual credit program using either

traditional on-site instruction or electronic instruction through the Kentucky Virtual High School orother sources, or both, prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

Require the Council on Postsecondary Education to:? Develop administrative regulations that require public postsecondary educational institutions to grant

credit to students who score a “3” or better on a College Board Advanced Placement examination,prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Publish information in print or electronic format about scores required on College Board advancedplacement examinations for credit or advanced standing to be received at Kentucky postsecondaryinstitutions, prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Define “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” in accordance with the new statutory definition and workwith the Kentucky Department of Education and the Education Professional Standards Board todevelop guidelines for content knowledge and teacher training in dual enrollment or dual creditprograms offered in Kentucky, prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

Require the Education Professional Standards Board to:? Define “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” in accordance with the new statutory definition and work

with the Kentucky Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education to developguidelines for content knowledge and teacher training in dual enrollment or dual credit programsoffered in Kentucky, prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

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CONTENTS

Transmittal Memorandum.............................................................................................................i

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

Background ....................................................................................................................................3

Legislative Directive ......................................................................................................................5

Methodology ...................................................................................................................................7

Findings...........................................................................................................................................9

Recommendations ........................................................................................................................15

Discussion .....................................................................................................................................17

Timetable ......................................................................................................................................31

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................35

APPENDICESA. Presenters to the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommittee ...................................39

B. Chart Prepared by Education Professional Standards Boardon Advanced Placement Classes by District.......................................................................43

C. Chart Prepared by Council on Postsecondary Educationon Advanced Placement Exam Scores at Which KentuckyPublic Universities and Colleges Grant Credit ..................................................................51

D. Chart Prepared by Association of Independent KentuckyColleges and Universities on Advanced Placement Scores at WhichKentucky Independent Universities and Colleges Grant Credit......................................55

E. School Report of Advanced Placement Examinations 2000-2001 (By State)..................63

TABLE1. 2001 College Board Advanced Placement Courses.............................................................3

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INTRODUCTION

Kentucky adopted a bold plan to improve its system of publiceducation in the Kentucky Educational Reform Act of 1990. Theplan reflected the belief that all students can learn, and nearly all,at high levels. The plan established high educational goals forKentucky students and directed state and local school officials tocreate an environment for student achievement and success.

To carry out this plan, the Kentucky Department of Educationdeveloped a program of studies designed to challenge Kentuckystudents to achieve at high levels by engaging in higher levelthinking, analysis, and synthesis skills in all courses. In addition,schools were directed to provide gifted and talented students, aswell as those with special needs, appropriate and challenging edu-cational experiences. The Kentucky General Assembly alsodirected the Kentucky Board of Education to adopt administrativeregulations for a Commonwealth Diploma to encourage highacademic achievement in Kentucky high schools. Requirements forthis diploma include the successful completion of at least fouradvanced placement or international baccalaureate courses.However, data collected by the Educational Professional StandardsBoard indicates that in the 2000 academic year only sixty percentof Kentucky high schools offered even one advanced placementcourse, creating substantial barriers to completing the Common-wealth Diploma for students in those schools where advancedplacement courses are not taught.

In response to concerns about the lack of advanced placementcourses in many Kentucky high schools, the Kentucky GeneralAssembly enacted SCR 2 during the 2001 Regular Session. SCR 2directed the Interim Joint Committee on Education to appoint asubcommittee that would review the current status of advancedplacement programs in schools throughout the Commonwealth. Itunderscored the need for students throughout the state to haveaccess to advanced placement courses in order for those students tohave an opportunity to complete the Commonwealth diploma. SCR2 also directed the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommitteeto recommend:

? An implementation plan for providing advanced placementstudy opportunities to qualified students throughout the state;

? A reasonable timeline for implementing advanced placementstudy opportunities; and

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? An outline of the necessary resources needed for fullimplementation of the plan.

The Subcommittee included four senators and four representatives,plus the Senate Education Committee Chair as an ex-officiomember. Staff support to the Subcommittee was provided bySandy Deaton, Evelyn Gibson, Lisa Moore, Kelley McQuerry, andJessica Graves. Staff members from the Kentucky Department ofEducation, the Education Professional Standards Board, theCouncil on Postsecondary Education, and the Association ofIndependent Kentucky Universities and Colleges were very helpfulin providing input to the study as were students, teachers,counselors, and school administrators currently involved inadvanced placement programs.

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BACKGROUND

Development of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP)program began in 1951 when the Ford Foundation funded a studydesigned to determine if high school juniors and seniors would bebetter prepared for college if they were taught with a morechallenging high school curriculum. The university and collegepreparatory high school officials involved in the study concludedthat a set of achievement exams which would enable colleges togive enterprising students advanced placement were needed.Although prior to the development of the College Board AdvancedPlacement Program some colleges and universities had programsgranting early admission or advanced standing to talented students,many educators felt that a large percentage of able students werenot being sufficiently challenged in high school or in initial collegecourses.At the same time, the School and College Study of Admissionswith Advanced Standing (SCSAAS) selected eleven subjects andappointed committees to write course descriptions in Englishcomposition, literature, physics, chemistry, biology, math, Latin,French, German, Spanish, and history. Each subject’s committeehad five faculty members from colleges and two from secondaryschools. Some or all of these courses were offered by eighteensecondary schools in a College Board experiment conducted todetermine if participating students were better prepared to begincollege after taking these advanced courses. The SCSAAS thenturned to the Educational Testing Service for help in developingthe course examinations to determine how much these students hadlearned. Shortly after that time, the College Board was selected asthe body to develop and administer the advanced placement testingprogram.Currently, the College Board offers preparatory courses and examsin thirty-three different subject areas (Table 1). In May 1998, theCollege Board administered more than one million AP exams. InKentucky in 2000, 11,830 students took AP examinations offeredby the College Board.

TABLE 12001 College Board Advanced Placement Courses

Art HistoryBiologyCalculus AB/BCChemistryComputer Science A/ABEconomicsEnglish Composition English LiteratureEnvironmental ScienceEuropean HistoryFrench Language

French LiteratureGermanGovernment and PoliticsHuman GeographyIntl. English LanguageLatin LiteratureLatin: VergilMacroeconomicsMicroeconomicsMusic TheoryPhysics – Electricity

Physics – MagnetismPhysics – MechanicsPsychologySpanish LanguageSpanish LiteratureStatisticsStudio Art – GeneralStudio Art – DrawingU.S. Govt. and PoliticsU.S. HistoryWorld History

Students in urban andrural public schools inevery state nowparticipate in theAdvanced PlacementProgram in largenumbers and go to avariety of postsecondaryinstitutions. The CollegeBoard also providesgrants to states that havefewer students taking APclasses and exams inorder to increase accessto advanced learningopportunities for studentsin these states.

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In the early years of the AP Program, participating students werelargely from independent, selective college preparatory schools orsuburban high schools in the Northeast, according to the CollegeBoard. The students from these schools tended to go on to attendhighly selective northeastern liberal arts colleges. Now, students inurban and rural public schools in every state participate in the APProgram in large numbers and go to a variety of postsecondaryinstitutions.

College Board AP courses and examinations are standardizedthrough a rigorous professional peer-review process conducted bycollege and high school faculty with content area expertise. Theprocess of developing a course takes a minimum of two years.Courses and examinations are continually monitored and updated.New subject areas are also being added each year.

The College Board offers professional development for middle andhigh school teachers to help them understand the information andtesting methods that will be used on AP examinations. Althoughthe College Board offers summer training institutes, year-roundworkshops, and interactive support in developing course outlines,materials, and teaching strategies, teachers are not required to meetspecific requirements or to complete specific training prior toteaching AP courses. In Kentucky, the College Board has teamedup with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to offersummer AP teacher training institutes at Western KentuckyUniversity, Morehead State University, and other locations. KDEhas received federal funding to expand advanced placementprofessional development. Training teachers how to preparestudents to successfully take AP exams is expected to increase thenumbers of students who enroll in AP courses, take College BoardAP exams, and score high enough on those exams to receiveadvanced standing at postsecondary institutions.

KDE has received federalfunding to expandadvanced placementprofessional development.Training teachers how toprepare students tosuccessfully take APexams is expected toincrease the numbers ofstudents who enroll in APcourses, take CollegeBoard AP exams, andscore high enough onthose exams to receiveadvanced standing atpostsecondaryinstitutions.

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LEGISLATIVE DIRECTIVE

During the 2001 Regular Session, through the passage of SCR 2,the Kentucky General Assembly directed the Interim JointCommittee on Education (IJCE) to appoint a subcommittee thatwould review the current status of advanced placement programsin schools throughout the Commonwealth.

SCR 2 underscored the need for students throughout the state tohave access to advanced placement courses in order for thosestudents to have an opportunity to complete the Commonwealthdiploma, the state’s highest level of secondary educationachievement, and to better prepare for postsecondary study.

SCR 2 also directed the Advanced Placement Programs Subcom-mittee to recommend:

? An implementation plan for providing advanced placementstudy opportunities to qualified students throughout the state;

? A reasonable timeline for implementing advanced placementstudy opportunities; and

? An outline of the necessary resources needed for fullimplementation of the plan.

Members of the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommitteealso agreed to examine dual credit and dual enrollment programsused by students to obtain advanced standing or college credit priorto full-time enrollment at a postsecondary institution.

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METHODOLOGY

Data used to develop this research memorandum were collectedthrough structured interviews with staff from the KentuckyDepartment of Education, the Education Professional StandardsBoard, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the Giftedand Talented Teacher Education Program of Western KentuckyUniversity. In addition, interviews and follow-up interviews withofficials from the College Board and with school personnel,including superintendents, principals, assistant principals, counsel-ors, and teachers, from school districts in western, central,northern, and eastern Kentucky were conducted. Schools wereselected in an attempt to balance urban and rural settings. Studentsparticipating in advanced placement courses and their parents fromthese schools and from those currently enrolled in the KentuckyVirtual High School also were interviewed for this study.

Interviews withrepresentatives of thevarious groups involvedin providing teachertraining or advancedplacement classes andother preparation forCollege Board AdvancedPlacement examinationswere the primary sourceof information includedin this report.

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FINDINGS

The Advanced Placement (AP) Programs Subcommittee held aseries of hearings to review the current status of Kentucky’sadvanced placement programs. In addition, the Subcommitteeinterviewed administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, andstudents from school districts throughout the state to obtainadditional perspectives on Kentucky’s advanced placementprograms. The Subcommittee also contacted numerous advocacygroups to determine if they or their constituents had particularconcerns about or suggestions for Kentucky’s advanced placementprogram. From this information, the Subcommittee foundgenerally that problems with AP programs exist in three areas—theconsistency of programs and postsecondary acceptance of APexam scores, access to College Board AP programs, andinadequate resources or use of resources for providing APprograms. Specifically, the Subcommittee found AP programsstatewide:

? Lack consistency in the content and teaching methods usedin advanced placement programs. This inconsistencycontributes to uncertain and frequently disappointingperformance on College Board AP examinations.

Kentucky has no statutory definition of “advanced placement” andhas conflicting definitions of “advanced placement” in regulation.Although regulations governing issuance of KEES scholarshipsrequire schools to follow College Board AP curriculum or teachingmethodologies when they offer advanced placement programs,information collected from school districts indicates that somedistricts are not following the College Board program in offeringthose programs. Therefore, student preparation for College BoardAP exams and the level of challenge those students encounter inadvanced placement courses differ in most school districtsthroughout the state. This inconsistency is important not only fromthe perspective of students attempting to obtain advanced standingby taking College Board AP exams, according to counselors,teachers, and students interviewed for this study, but also in theaward of Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships (KEES).Grades in AP courses are adjusted to ensure students who attemptmore difficult coursework are not penalized in obtaining KEESmonies for college. But students in some school districts may begetting the benefit of the adjusted AP grade schedule withoutfacing the same level of difficulty that students taking CollegeBoard AP courses in other school districts face.

The Subcommittee foundthat inconsistency in thetypes of advancedplacement coursesavailable, access to thosecourses, and thepostsecondary creditgiven for scores achievedon College BoardAdvanced Placementexams, coupled withinadequate school-leveldata about advancedplacement courses,affected the degree towhich students werewilling to pursueadvanced placementopportunities.

The absence of astatutory definition for"advanced placement"has led to a variety ofcourses being given thatlabel. Some of the courseslabeled "AP" in Ken-tucky do not meet thequality or rigor that arerequired for students toachieve passing scores onCollege Board AdvancedPlacement examinations.

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? Keep inadequate records and information about advancedplacement programs offered in Kentucky schools. Data isoften inconsistent and not in a format that permits easycomparison or analysis.

Information about advanced placement programs offered inKentucky schools is scattered among different agencies at the statelevel. In addition, school districts are not required to keepstandardized information about the advanced placement programsthey offer or the students who participate in AP courses. Manydistricts even fail to record whether a student takes a CollegeBoard AP exam or how well students who did take the exam havedone. Those school districts that do keep the data may not keep itin a computerized database that facilitates effective analysis. Thisfailure to have standardized information sent to a single agencymakes analysis of trends in AP enrollment or evaluation of school,teacher, and student performance in AP programs extremelydifficult. This lack of information also hampers the development ofcommunications and teaching strategies for improving studentperformance on College Board AP exams or increasing the numberof students enrolled in AP courses.

? Have no uniform score on AP examinations at which creditis granted. High schools and postsecondary institutions alsooffer students little information about the scores that arerequired on AP examinations to receive credit or advancedstanding from postsecondary institutions. This inconsis-tency and lack of information results in confusion amongstudents, parents, teachers, and counselors involved in APprograms and possibly additional expense.

Unlike Florida, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, Kentucky has nouniform score on College Board AP exams at which state-supported or state-accredited postsecondary institutions must grantadvanced standing. In addition, the state has no mechanism bywhich the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) or any otherbody sets uniform scores at which credit or advanced standing isgranted. As a result, Kentucky postsecondary institutions grantadvanced standing for a wide array of College Board AP examscores, ranging from a “3” to a “5”. Even within a singleinstitution, various schools or departments may have differentscores at which advanced standing will be granted. To complicatematters further, information about what scores are acceptable atspecific institutions or in specific programs is not available from asingle, comprehensive source. According to testimony fromrepresentatives of the Kentucky Department of Education and localschool districts, this inconsistency in granting credit or advanced

In Kentucky, failure tohave standardizedinformation sent to asingle agency makesanalysis of trends in APenrollment or evaluationof school, teacher, andstudent performance inAP programs extremelydifficult.

Kentucky postsecondaryinstitutions grantadvanced standing for awide array of CollegeBoard AP exam scores,ranging from a “3” to a“5”. Even within a singleinstitution, variousschools or departmentsmay have different scoresat which advancedstanding will be granted.To complicate mattersfurther, informationabout what scores areacceptable at specificinstitutions or in specificprograms is not availablefrom a single, compre-hensive source.

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standing to students who have passed AP exams with specificscores reduces the number of students who take AP courses to adegree that cannot be determined, results in additional expense forsome students who have taken AP exams but do not receive creditor advanced standing, and causes some students to reconsiderenrollment in particular postsecondary programs. Lack ofinformation about the scores needed also may prevent studentsfrom preparing for and performing on exams at a level at whichadvanced standing will be granted.

? Create or fail to remove barriers for many Kentuckystudents that limit access to advanced placement programs.

Although the Kentucky Virtual High School (KVHS) appears to gofar in ensuring most students in Kentucky have access to a widearray of well-taught advanced placement courses, KVHS is not acomplete solution to access problems. Access issues that persistinclude:

? The cost of taking the courses and exams, particularlyadvanced placement courses offered through the KentuckyVirtual High School;

? School-level selection requirements that prevent some studentsfrom being able to take courses;

? Inadequate pre-AP course preparation that impedes studentsfrom successfully completing the courses and achieving examscores that enable those students to receive college credit;

? Lack of access to computers and other technology used toprovide AP courses and test preparation;

? Lack of time, supervision, and facilities for students to takeonline AP courses from KVHS during the school day; and

? Lack of awareness among administrators, teachers, counselors,parents, and students of the KVHS AP program option.

? Are not viewed as a central part of the curriculum and arenot offered to all potentially eligible students.

Although many school districts are attempting to expand thevariety of AP courses offered to their students, many others viewAP programs as simply one more special program they have toaccommodate. In addition, although most schools offer AP courses

Recent reports by theCollege Board and theNational Academies ofScience and Engineeringhave found that manystates, like Kentucky,have not removedsignificant financial,technological, selection,and educationalpreparation barriers thatkeep significant numbersof students in these statesfrom taking CollegeBoard AdvancedPlacement examinations.

Although many schooldistricts are attempting toexpand the variety of APcourses offered to theirstudents, many othersview AP programs assimply one more specialprogram they have toaccommodate. Schoolsthat view AP as a centralpart of the curriculumhave a less difficult timefinding sufficientnumbers of students forAP classes, makingassignment of teacherseasier to justify from afunding and resourceperspective.

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to all students and allow individual students and their parents todecide if they will enroll in AP courses, other schools limitenrollment to students who are selected by administrators,counselors, or teachers. Those selection processes, coupled withinadequate pre-AP course preparation, may limit the numbers ofminority or low-income students enrolled in AP courses, accordingto recent studies conducted by the College Board and the NationalAcademies of Science and Engineering. The College Board andother organizations have developed several pre-AP programs thatare designed to help students in elementary or middle school todevelop critical thinking, reading, and mathematics skills needed toscore well on College Board AP exams. In Kentucky, training forthese programs is currently offered at Western KentuckyUniversity’s (WKU) Advanced Placement Institute to middleschool teachers who come as a team with high school teachersfrom the same school district. In addition, according to thoseinterviewed, students in alternative school programs also may nothave access to AP program offerings even though some students inthose programs may be capable of performing well in the coursesand on the exams. Schools that view AP as a central part of thecurriculum have a less difficult time finding sufficient numbers ofstudents for AP classes, making assignment of teachers easier tojustify from a funding and resource perspective.

The Subcommittee further found that in some cases, AP coursesand exams were not a complete solution to preparing students forpostsecondary education and may not alone be the strategy neededto increase the numbers of Kentucky students who pursuepostsecondary education. The Subcommittee found:

? Dual credit or dual enrollment are alternatives to APcourses and exams that sometimes offer greater assuranceof college credit or advanced standing, but credit obtainedin those programs may be limited in applicability.

The uncertainty of success on and acceptance of AP exams foradvanced standing has led many students and school districts toseek dual enrollment programs as a solution for helping highschool juniors and seniors accrue credit before they enroll full timein a postsecondary educational institution. Dual enrollmentprograms allow students to take college or community collegecourses for credit at the postsecondary institution while they arestill in high school. Dual credit courses allow students to receivecredit from both the high school and postsecondary institution fortaking a single course. Postsecondary institutions offering theseprograms frequently accommodate high school students by

Dual credit or dualenrollment programsoffer many Kentuckystudents an importantoption for obtainingcollege credit prior totheir graduation fromhigh school.

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allowing the courses to be taught at the high school. While thisoption generally ensures participating students credit with thepostsecondary institution offering the course, it does not ensure thestudent will receive credit or advanced standing from thepostsecondary institution in which the student eventually enrolls.Many postsecondary institutions, particularly research universities,may be skeptical about the quality of coursework performed indual enrollment courses, particularly when those courses are nottaught by college or community college faculty, according totestimony from the Council on Postsecondary Education. Some ofthose institutions do not offer credit or course waivers for the workcompleted in dual enrollment programs.

? In order for Kentucky’s student population to pursue post-secondary education in greater numbers, communicationand cooperation among secondary and postsecondaryinstitutions must increase. In addition, Kentucky may needto restructure middle school and high school in order tocreate a better bridge between secondary and postsecon-dary programs.

The findings of the National Commission on the High SchoolSenior Year underscore the need for changing middle school andhigh school programs to more clearly reflect the needs and abilitiesof students in the 21st century. These findings indicate that somestudents may need to begin study of advanced math, science,language, and social science before high school and thatpostsecondary education may need to begin as early as the secondyear of high school. Some programs, such as “middle colleges,”are attempting to balance the need for greater educationalchallenge with the need to provide direction and externally-imposed discipline for high school students by creating high schoolcampus-based programs that teach college level courses and bridgethe separation between high school and college. AP and dualenrollment programs will be important pathways that bridgeexisting gaps. The Kentucky Department of Education and theCouncil on Postsecondary Education, through the state P-16Council, are working on programmatic changes to ensure studentsare adequately prepared for postsecondary study. Local P-16councils also will be important in making sure Kentucky studentsand parents readily accept postsecondary education as a normaland expected part of the educational process.

The National Commissionon the High School SeniorYear found that middleschool and high schoolcurricula must change toreflect the learning needsof today's students. Thesefindings indicate thatsome students may needto begin study ofadvanced math, science,language, and socialscience before high schooland that postsecondaryeducation may need tobegin as early as thesecond year of highschool.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The Subcommittee recommends the following changes to improveconsistency in advanced placement and dual enrollment programs,to expand and increase student access to AP or dual enrollmentprograms, and to maximize the use of existing and future resourcesin the delivery of AP or dual enrollment programs.

? Define “advanced placement” in statute and requireadministrative regulations to be amended to incorporatethe definition, programs, and examinations of students inadvanced placement courses offered by the College Board;

? Require the Kentucky Department of Education tostandardize advanced placement curriculum content,teaching methods, and data collection and reporting;

? Require school districts to accept all Kentucky VirtualHigh School courses for credit and to use those grades inthe calculation of student grade point averages, making nodifferentiation between courses taken via KVHS or on-site;

? Direct school districts to accept advanced placementcourses taken by middle school students for high schoolcredit when those students attain performance levelsexpected of high school students in that district;

? Direct the Council on Postsecondary Education to developadministrative regulations that will require publicpostsecondary educational institutions to grant credit tostudents who score a “3” or better on a College BoardAdvanced Placement examination;

? Direct the Council on Postsecondary Education to publishinformation in print and electronic format about the scoresrequired on College Board AP examinations for a grant ofadvanced standing at all Kentucky public and privatepostsecondary institutions;

? Define “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” in statute anddirect the Council on Postsecondary Education, theKentucky Department of Education, and the EducationProfessional Standards Board to develop guidelines forcontent knowledge and teacher training in dual enrollmentor dual credit programs offered in Kentucky;

? Require each school-based decision making council to offera core AP curriculum, dual enrollment, or dual creditprogram using either traditional on-site instruction orelectronic instruction through the Kentucky Virtual High

To improve consistency:

To expand access:

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School or other online alternatives, or both, within the nexttwo years;

? Require each school district to pay tuition for studentsfrom their district who are enrolled in Kentucky VirtualHigh School courses for credit through some proportionatesharing of Average Daily Attendance funds or otherfunding sources;

? Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to expandadvanced placement teacher training institutes, includingoffering AP teacher development online via the KentuckyVirtual High School or the Kentucky Virtual Universityand to require service commitments from teachersreceiving the training;

? Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to developwithin the next two years the “Kentucky Virtual APAcademy” to provide a core AP curriculum through theKentucky Virtual High School (KVHS) and direct theCouncil on Postsecondary Education to develop a core dualenrollment or dual credit program through the KentuckyVirtual University;

? Require the Kentucky Department of Education and theCouncil on Postsecondary Education to identify resourcesat both the secondary and postsecondary level that can bedirected toward AP or dual enrollment programs;

? Require the Kentucky Department of Education within thenext year to compare the costs of taking advancedplacement courses through traditional instruction, theKentucky Virtual High School, or other methods and tooffer school districts assistance in analyzing how they canmost cost-effectively offer the most advanced placementclasses;

? Require the Kentucky Department of Education to identifycurrent funding sources and the amount of funds availablefor advanced placement or dual enrollment programs;

? Require the Kentucky Department of Education to identifyfuture funding sources and amounts of funding that can beanticipated from those sources;

? Appropriate funds to the Kentucky Department ofEducation and the Council on Postsecondary Education fordeveloping information about and providing professionaldevelopment which demonstrates the Kentucky VirtualHigh School and Kentucky Virtual University.

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DISCUSSION

Data Collection Issues

Obtaining information about Kentucky’s advanced placement (AP)programs was difficult because of the lack of information availableabout offered programs, teacher training, and student success. Boththe Kentucky Department of Education and each school districtinterviewed were asked to provide numerical data that indicatedthe number of students enrolled in advanced placement courses,the number of students who took College Board AdvancedPlacement examinations after completing advanced placementcourses, and the scores achieved by students taking the CollegeBoard examinations.

Although the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) collectssome data about the success of Kentucky students on CollegeBoard advanced placement examinations, including some historictrend data, the information is generally collected from the CollegeBoard, rather than school districts. Since students can take CollegeBoard advanced placement examinations without taking advancedplacement courses, KDE may not know if Kentucky studentstaking College Board advanced placement examinations tookadvanced placement prepatory courses offered in the school districtin which they are enrolled, especially since not all school districtsmaintain this information and transmit it to KDE.

In addition, neither KDE nor the College Board mandates aspecific curriculum for advanced placement courses. Therefore,school districts who offer courses they describe as “advancedplacement” may not be following the curriculum and teachingmethods recommended by the College Board to maximize thechance students have for scoring at a level “3” or above, the scorelevels generally required for a student to be granted advancedstanding or college credit for AP examination performance.

Interviews with local school districts provided no greater access todata about Kentucky students enrolled in advanced placementcourses. Some schools do identify which students are in advancedplacement courses, but most school officials interviewed said thedata were not routinely collected in a manner that would allowcomparison of student performance on College Board advancedplacement examinations or permit comparison of the number ofstudents who receive credit or advanced standing frompostsecondary institutions. Information about advanced placement

Obtaining informationabout Kentucky’sadvanced placement (AP)programs was difficultbecause of the lack ofinformation availableabout offered programs,teacher training, andstudent success.Currently, schooldistricts do not collectdata about advancedplacement courses in acomprehensive manner.School districts are notrequired to submitspecific data about theiradvanced placementprograms to theKentucky Department ofEducation or any otheragency.

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programs in Kentucky schools is generally available only throughanecdotal reports from counselors or teachers who work withstudents taking those courses.

Currently, school districts do not collect data about advancedplacement courses in a comprehensive manner. School districts arenot required to submit specific data about their advancedplacement programs to the Kentucky Department of Education orany other agency. School districts should be required to providethe Kentucky Department of Education with information about thenumber of students participating in advanced placement courses;the race, gender, and economic status of advanced placementstudents; the number of faculty members teaching advancedplacement courses; the types of advanced placement courses beingtaught; testing outcomes for participating students; the methodsused to teach these courses; and the methods used to advisestudents and parents about the availability of these courses.Currently, very little of this information is available to documentor compare the success rates of schools in preparing AP students totake the College Board AP examinations. This lack of data alsolimits the degree to which KDE or other agencies can identify andcompare the teaching methods or programs that result in thegreatest student success on advanced placement examinationsamong Kentucky students.

Program Status

The lack of information collected from school districts createsdifficulties in definitively identifying all of the advancedplacement courses being taught in school districts throughout thestate. In addition, the lack of a consistent definition of “advancedplacement” creates further confusion since some school districtsmay designate courses “advanced placement” even though thosecourses do not adhere to the recommendations of the CollegeBoard. The Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB) didprovide the Subcommittee with a list of courses, organized bydistrict, that were identified by school districts as advancedplacement courses being taught during the 2000-2001 academicyear. However, no information about the course content, successrate, or teaching methods was provided on the reports from whichthe chart was derived. The data were collated from ProfessionalStaff Data reports which are submitted to EPSB by school districtsannually identifying what courses professional staff are teaching.This form is not specific to advanced placement courses or

Lack of informationabout advancedplacement courses andthe lack of a consistentdefinition of “advancedplacement” createsdifficulties in definitivelyidentifying all of theadvanced placementcourses being taught inKentucky. However, datafrom the EducationalProfessional StandardsBoard indicate that asmany as 40% ofKentucky’s public highschools fail to offer evenone advanced placementcourse.

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advanced placement teachers. The AP Classes by Districts chart(Appendix 1) shows that 150 school districts in Kentucky offer atleast one AP course, representing sixty percent of the schooldistricts in the state. A KDE summary indicates that 171 schooldistricts, or sixty-eight percent of all Kentucky public schools, areoffering at least one AP course, underscoring the lack of accurateinformation about advanced placement programs.

Despite the lack of information, interviews conducted with schooldistricts throughout the state provided a snapshot of advancedplacement programs in Kentucky. Overall, the following issuesemerged in school district interviews and testimony or discussionsbefore the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommittee.

Availability

Serious concerns about the availability of advanced placementcourses for all students in Kentucky were identified. The APClasses by District chart prepared by EPSB shows nearly half ofthe school districts in Kentucky do not offer their students anyadvanced placement courses. Without advanced placementcourses, students are unable to pursue Kentucky’s highest level ofhigh school diploma, the Commonwealth Diploma, since the awardof that diploma is dependent upon students attaining proficiency inat least four Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureatecourses. In addition, students in these school districts are at adisadvantage in preparing for college compared to students whohave had the opportunity to take advanced placement courses are,creating questions of equity in educational offerings forKentucky’s brightest students.

Officials interviewed from many districts explained that the lack ofadvanced placement course offerings are the result of limitednumbers of students who are interested in taking the courses,limited numbers of teachers interested or capable of teaching thecourses, or limited amounts of space and time in already crowdedfacilities or schedules. When asked about permitting students totake advanced placement courses through the Kentucky VirtualHigh School (KVHS), many of the interviewed officials indicatedthat they were unaware of the program, how it worked, how itaffected school funding, or what it cost students. Those who wereaware of the program cited inadequate numbers of computers topermit students to take KVHS advanced placement courses duringthe school day or a lack of sites within the school where a studentcould have access to a computer with an Internet connection andbe supervised at the same time. Costs of the KVHS program also

Without advancedplacement courses,students are unable topursue Kentucky’shighest level of highschool diploma, theCommonwealth Diploma,since the award of thatdiploma is dependentupon students attainingproficiency in at leastfour Advanced Placementor InternationalBaccalaureate courses. Inaddition, these studentsmay not be able tocompete fully foradmission to Kentucky’smost selective collegesand universities.

Officials interviewedfrom many districtsexplained that the lack ofadvanced placementcourse offerings are theresult of limited numbersof students who are inter-ested in taking thecourses, limited numbersof teachers interested orcapable of teaching thecourses, or limitedamounts of space andtime in already crowdedfacilities or schedules.Officials from many ofthese districts also wereunaware of the availabil-ity of AP courses andexam preparationthrough the KentuckyVirtual High School.

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were listed as a barrier for some students and school districts.Some school districts indicated that many of their students wouldbe unable to pay the $275 per semester/$500 per year fee percourse to access advanced placement courses on KVHS.

In addition, availability issues exist for other students even wheresufficient advanced placement courses are available. Most of theschool districts interviewed indicated that all students are allowedto sign up for advanced placement courses. Advanced placementcourses are published in a school course offering guide as are allother courses in those schools. Students are allowed to sign up forany course they choose for which they meet prerequisites. Somestudents, including minority or low-income students, may not beable to meet prerequisite requirements because they have not beenchallenged to perform at high levels and take preparatory coursesbefore they reach high school on in their freshman and sophomoreyears, eliminating them from eligibility for advanced placementcourses. Other districts allow only students recommended byteachers, counselors, or administrators to register for advancedplacement courses. This process also could exclude minority orlow-income students whom school personnel may believe areincapable of handling advanced placement courses, according torecent equity and access studies conducted by the College Boardand the National Academies of Science and Engineering.

The College Board has actively tried to address the disparitybetween the number of Caucasian and minority students who takeCollege Board Advanced Placement courses and exams.Nationally, minority students account for only twenty-sevenpercent of the College Board advanced placement examinationtakers, according to the College Board. African American studentsrepresented approximately four percent of those who took APexaminations in 2000 while Latino students were about ninepercent of test takers in 2000. Kentucky lacks general dataidentifying the ethnicity of students who take advanced placementcourses in school districts to determine accurate percentages ofminority students enrolled in these courses or taking theexaminations. However, KVHS has collected that data for studentsenrolled in KVHS AP programs. Among KVHS advancedplacement program participants, 10 of the 144 students wereAfrican American and 2 were Asian, compared with 117Caucasians and 15 who did not respond to the ethnicity question.None were identified as Latinos.

The Kentucky Department of Education is currently involved inseveral initiatives designed to prepare students for a more

The KentuckyDepartment of Educationand the Council onPostsecondary Educationhave received grants for aGEAR UP program, HighSchools That Work, thegifted services plan, andthe Kentucky VirtualHigh School that provideteacher development,instructional support forstudents who want toachieve at higher levels,and parental support forthe parents of studentstargeted by theseprograms. Theseinitiatives are designed toprepare students for amore challenging highschool curriculum whenthose students are still inlower grades.

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challenging high school curriculum when those students are inlower grades. KDE and the Council on Postsecondary Educationhave received grants for a GEAR UP program, High Schools ThatWork, the gifted services plan, and the Kentucky Virtual HighSchool that provide teacher development, instructional support forstudents who want to achieve at higher levels, and parental supportfor the parents of students targeted by these programs. In addition,Western Kentucky University (WKU) and KDE have implementedVertical Team Training, a professional development programdesigned to show teachers of upper elementary and middle schoolstudents the content, skills, and teaching methods needed toprepare students to take advanced placement courses in highschool. The director of the WKU Advanced Placement Institutetold the Subcommittee that early preparation for a collegepreparatory curriculum was the single most important step the statecould take to increase the numbers of students enrolling inadvanced placement courses. Without sufficient early foundationallearning, the director stated, many students are inadequatelyprepared to take challenging advanced placement courses in highschool.

The GEAR UP program, an acronym for Gaining Early Awarenessand Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is designed to helpminority and low-income students understand what skills they willneed to prepare for college and to develop better reading,composition, science, and mathematics skills that will enable thesestudents to take college prep courses in high school. Programs likethese may increase the access minority and low-income studentshave to college preparatory curricula, including advancedplacement.

Other students who may have limited access to advancedplacement courses are students who are placed in alternativeprograms due to behavioral problems or other issues that do notallow them to remain in traditional classrooms. Several of theschools interviewed indicated that they believe allowing studentsin these programs to take advanced placement courses couldjeopardize the learning environment or safety of other studentsinterested in the programs. However, these schools appear not tohave explored alternative means of delivering advanced placementcourses to these students, such as KVHS advanced placementcourses. None of the schools interviewed had explored that methodof delivering advanced placement courses to alternative programstudents. None of the school districts could identify specificoptions they provide these students to ensure they have access toadvanced placement courses. Most school officials interviewed

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expressed doubt that these students could complete advancedplacement courses. KRS 157.195 requires the Commonwealth andschool districts to provide adequate educational programs to allstudents, even students who have advanced academic capacitycoupled with behavioral problems, and does not permit students inalternative programs who are capable of successfully completingadvanced placement courses to be excluded from these offeringssimply because of other problems.

Consistency

One of the biggest issues of concern to the Subcommittee andthose who testified before it was the lack of consistency among theadvanced placement courses offered in Kentucky’s high schools.Neither the Kentucky Department of Education nor the CollegeBoard mandates a specific curriculum for advanced placementcourses. Although both entities offer teacher training to helpteachers understand and acquire the best methods of delivering thecontent and developing the skills students need to score well onCollege Board advanced placement examinations, neither has theauthority to require teachers or schools to use those methods inadvanced placement courses. Furthermore, no statutory orregulatory provision prevents school districts from labeling acourse “advanced placement” when the course does not follow theCollege Board recommendations for advanced placement courses.

Several individuals who testified before the Subcommitteeexpressed concern about the lack of consistency in advancedplacement programs. Poorly structured programs limit the abilityof students to score well enough to receive credit or advancedstanding when they take College Board advanced placementexaminations. These students also are deceived into thinking theyare taking courses that require college level work when thosecourses do not, resulting in poorer student performance in actualcollege courses than those students would have expected.

Another issue of consistency is the varying scores students mustobtain to receive credit or advanced standing for College Boardadvanced placement examinations from Kentucky’s postsecondaryinstitutions or programs within those institutions. Many studentsbelieve that if they achieve a score of “3” on a College Boardadvanced placement exam, they will receive credit or advancedstanding from postsecondary institutions. However, some schoolsor degree programs require a score of “4” or “5” before credit oradvanced standing is granted. To further complicate the problem,no central source of the scores required is readily available to

Several individuals whotestified before theSubcommittee expressedconcern about the lack ofconsistency in advancedplacement programs.Poorly structuredprograms limit the abilityof students to score wellenough to receive creditor advanced standingwhen they take CollegeBoard AdvancedPlacement examinations.These students also aredeceived into thinkingthey are taking coursesthat require college levelwork when those coursesdo not.

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students. Many postsecondary institutions list the scores requiredin their catalogs, but some do not provide much detail withoutindividual student inquiry. Students may have to contact eachcampus or each program in which they have interest in order to getcomplete information about advanced placement credit, makingcomparisons difficult.

Postsecondary institutions and specific degree programs say thatsetting a specific score at which credit or advanced standing wouldbe granted could result in students who are placed in courses wherethey will not have the skills or content knowledge they will need tosucceed. However, some students and other observers believe thesystem creates uncertainty for students and may discouragestudents from taking advanced placement courses or exams. TheSubcommittee requested the Council on Postsecondary Education(CPE) and the Association of Kentucky Independent Colleges andUniversities (AIKCU) to collate information about the CollegeBoard AP examination scores for which each Kentucky post-secondary institution grants credit or advanced standing and thescores at which the credit or advanced standing is granted. (SeeAppendix 2.)

Barriers to Offering Advanced Placement Courses

Insufficient Numbers ofStudents Seeking AP Classes

The school district officials interviewed for this study identifiedseveral barriers to offering advanced placement courses. The mostfrequently cited reason for not offering advanced placementcourses was inadequate numbers of students wanting to take aparticular advanced placement course. Without sufficient numbersof students, school officials found scheduling a teacher to teach anadvanced placement course tied up too many resources –personnel, facilities, and materials. In addition, some schools citeddisinterest among faculty members in teaching these courses sinceadvanced placement courses generally require greater teacherpreparation and follow-up in the development of assignments,tests, and grading of those instruments. These concerns do have afinancial impact on the school as well since teachers must bereassigned or additional teachers hired to teach other courses whena teacher is assigned to teach a small number of students in anadvanced placement course. Multiplied times several advancedplacement courses, the effect on available teaching staff in a given

The most frequently citedreason for not offeringadvanced placementcourses was inadequatenumbers of studentswanting to take aparticular advancedplacement course. Onesolution offered to thisproblem was preparingmore students foradvanced placementstudy. Sufficient numbersof students then would beavailable to make theclasses feasible fromstaffing and resourceperspectives.

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school district can be high. The WKU Advanced PlacementInstitute director offered one solution to this problem: preparemore students for advanced placement study, then sufficientnumbers of students will be available to make the classes feasiblefrom staffing and resource perspectives.

Kentucky Virtual High School (KVHS)

When asked about using KVHS courses to supplement advancedplacement course offerings, most school district officials said theywere not aware of the program and were not sure how averagedaily attendance (ADA) funding would be affected by allowingstudents to take an advanced placement class via KVHS.

KVHS began operations in January 2000 with a $500,000 generalfund appropriation. The program was set up to operate on amodified cost-recovery basis. KVHS has offered advanceplacement courses since its inception, including eleven AP coursesin 2001 and fifteen AP courses in 2002. However, KVHS serves asa supplement to, not a replacement of, local schools. In fact,KVHS does not grant credit, it simply serves as a course providerwhen schools do not have resources or student demand for offeringa specific course. Credit for KVHS courses are provided throughthe school district where the KVHS student is enrolled. In 2002,KVHS also will begin offering an eighteen-month/two semesterAP option that will give students additional time to master thecontent and skills needed to successfully take College Board APexaminations.

Students must pay a fee of $275 for one semester per KVHScourse taken ($500 for two semesters) and must have access to anInternet-accessible computer to take courses. Students who take aKVHS course during the school day continue to be counted in theschool’s ADA if the student takes a class from the school prior toand after taking the KVHS course. Some school districts agree toshare a portion of ADA funding to offset the student’s costs fortaking the KVHS course when the course is taken for credit and isunavailable from the school district. However, the decision toshare funding is made by the local school district. Not all districtsprovide this financial offset. Many require students to pay theKVHS fees, limiting to a large degree the number of students ableto take advantage of this option. However, KVHS does offer 100scholarships per year. These scholarships will be available only aslong as federal grant funding is available.

KVHS has offeredadvance placementcourses since 2000 whenit was begun, including 11AP courses in 2001 and15 AP courses in 2002.KVHS does not grantcredit, it simply serves asa course provider whenschools do not haveresources or studentdemand for offering aspecific course.

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KVHS has the advantage of offering students throughout the stateaccess to well-taught advanced placement courses that provideone-on-one teacher/student interaction, although this interaction islimited to using electronic or telephone communications. Studentsalso are able to interact with each other through electroniccommunications. KVHS also provides AP students with extensiveexam review and pretests that enhance the students’ capacity toscore at high levels on College Board Advanced Placementexaminations. KVHS also provides schools districts with importantaccess to courses in which qualified teachers are difficult to find,such as foreign language and advanced math and science courses.KVHS’ ability to amass students throughout the state into classesmaximizes the use of teacher resources.

Some individuals who testified before the committee, includingstudents and parents of students taking KVHS AP classes, pointedout that KVHS AP courses may not work for all students. Theseindividuals told the committee that KVHS AP courses requireabout fifteen hours per course of work each week. In addition,students taking the courses must be largely self-directed sinceteachers are not constantly watching to see if the students are ontrack. KVHS teachers and administrators did note that the programtries to ensure KVHS AP teachers give weekly assignments thatmust be turned in, usually faxed or e-mailed, to monitor studentunderstanding and performance. In addition, each student isassigned to a teacher or counselor at the student’s local school sothe school can monitor the student’s progress as well.

Schools do continue to have technology concerns about theincreased use of KVHS as a provider of supplemental courses forstudents seeking advanced placement courses or other courses forwhich local schools cannot find or afford on-site teachers. Asmentioned previously in the report, school district officialsinterviewed suggested that many schools may not have enoughcomputers to permit students to take AP classes during the schoolday or enough computers in classrooms or other locations wherestudents can be monitored while they take KVHS courses.However, the Kentucky Department of Education has suggestedthat schools should have sufficient numbers of computers to permitthe use of KVHS courses for advanced placement. KDE indicatesthat schools may need to plan better for making computers insupervised locations available for this purpose, rather than toacquire additional technology.

School district officials also were unfamiliar with how KVHSworks. The program is staffed with four full-time employees to

KVHS can offer well-taught advancedplacement courses tostudents throughout thestate with one-on-oneteacher/studentinteraction although thatinteraction is limited totelephone or electroniccommunications. KVHSalso offers schoolsdistricts access to courses,like foreign language andadvanced math andscience for which findingqualified teachers is

Dual enrollmentprograms allow studentsto take college orcommunity collegecourses for credit at apostsecondary institutionwhile the student is still inhigh school. Dual creditcourses allow students toreceive credit from boththe high school and apostsecondary institutionwhen the student takes asingle course.

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establish procedures and curricula and to maintain service delivery.The KVHS staff has had little time to make visits to local schooldistricts to demonstrate how the program works. KVHS officialsindicate the program has had too few resources to developbrochures or other written materials that explain and promote theprogram and too little funding to contract out those projects.

Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit Options

Some school districts interviewed believe that dual enrollment ordual credit programs offer more students the opportunity to obtaincollege credit prior to full-time enrollment in postsecondaryinstitutions than advanced placement programs. Dual enrollmentprograms allow students to take college or community collegecourses for credit at the postsecondary institution while the studentis still in high school. Dual credit courses allow students to receivecredit from both the high school and postsecondary institutionwhen the student takes a single course. Many of the individualsinterviewed also saw dual enrollment programs as a way toincrease the number of Kentucky students who pursuepostsecondary education. These individuals believed that APcourses are intended for only a limited number of students whoplan to attend selective, four-year liberal arts colleges or researchuniversities whether they get early credit or not. These courses aretoo difficult for students who earn Bs and Cs, according to some ofthose interviewed. In addition, these interviewees expressedconcerns about the uncertainty of students attaining credit oradvanced standing by taking College Board advanced placementexaminations, making dual enrollment programs a more certainchoice. On the other hand, representatives of the Association ofIndependent Kentucky College and Universities indicate thatstudents may have a more difficult time transferring credit earnedthrough dual enrollment or dual credit courses to Kentucky’sprivate colleges and universities than those students would have ingetting credit for advanced placement examination scores rangingfrom “4” to “5.”

Kentucky has a fairly extensive network of programs offering highschool students the chance to begin earning college credit oroccupational certifications prior to graduating from high school.The Kentucky Community and Technical College System(KCTCS) is actively involved in helping local community andtechnical colleges set up dual enrollment programs throughout thestate. In addition, KCTCS has seven districts that are in the

Kentucky has a fairlyextensive network of dualenrollment programsoffering high schoolstudents the chance tobegin earning collegecredit or occupationalcertifications prior tograduating from highschool. The KentuckyCommunity andTechnical College System(KCTCS) is activelyinvolved in helping localcommunity and technicalcolleges set up dualenrollment programsthroughout the state.

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advanced or formative stages and nine districts in the preliminarystage of setting up and implementing Preschool through 16 (P-16)councils. These councils help elementary, middle, high schools,and postsecondary education institutions align curriculum anddevelop collaborative projects that will enhance the interest andability of Kentucky students to pursue postsecondary education.

Discover College

Owensboro has been a leader in developing a model program,called Discover College, that provides students in the DaviessCounty, Hancock County, and Owensboro areas access to severalpostsecondary programs. This program is not intended to reachstudents who traditionally take advanced placement courses but toinvolve students who traditionally have not pursued postsecondaryeducation in degree or certificate programs in postsecondaryprograms before they leave high school.

Discover College offers students developmental or collegefreshman courses in areas that will satisfy general educationrequirements, such as English, math, science, and social science. Inaddition, the program offers students the opportunity to obtainprofessional industry-recognized certifications, such as MicrosoftOffice User Specialist (MOUS), Cisco Networking, or AutomotiveService Excellence (ASE), that will enable students to get entrylevel jobs paying on average $30,000 to $60,000 per year.

Discover College blends the “middle college” concept with off-campus programs that allow high school juniors and seniors to takecourses at area colleges for credit. The program even providestransportation for students to those campuses. Students are able totake many of the courses free. But some courses require students topay fees to the postsecondary institution. In 2002, DiscoverCollege will set up a more traditional version of a middle collegeby having both high school and college teachers available forinstruction on high school campuses throughout the district andcreating greater interaction between teachers from bothinstructional levels.

Middle colleges have been in existence in other parts of the UnitedStates since the 1970s. They provide high school and collegecourses on the same campus, allowing students to move betweenthe programs and to satisfy both secondary and postsecondaryeducational requirements. Middle colleges have been used tosuccessfully combat the “wasted senior year” syndrome describedby the National Commission on the High School Senior Year

Discover College offersstudents developmentalor college freshmancourses in areas that willsatisfy general educationrequirements such asEnglish, math, science,and social science. Inaddition, the programoffers students theopportunity to obtainprofessional industry-recognized certifications,such as Microsoft OfficeUser Specialist (MOUS).

KDE has pointed to localbarriers to someprograms designed tomove capable elementaryand middle schoolstudents into advancedcurricula, includinghigher mathematics andlanguage courses. KDEindicates that some schooldistricts will not givemiddle school studentswho take high schoolalgebra or other coursescredit for those coursestoward high schoolgraduation.

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(National Commission) by allowing students to complete as muchas two years of credit toward a postsecondary degree before theygraduate from high school. Creating programs that enable studentsto take challenging courses prior to graduation or to expeditegraduation in order for students to pursue postsecondary educationat an earlier age were among the recommendations of the NationalCommission. The National Commission also suggested thatstudents in upper elementary grades and middle school bepermitted to complete high school level courses, including algebraand calculus, in order to maintain academic challenge for thosestudents and to prepare them for earlier entry into postsecondaryprograms.

KDE has pointed to local barriers to some programs designed tomove capable elementary and middle school students intoadvanced curricula, including higher mathematics and languagecourses. KDE indicates that some school districts will not givemiddle school students who take high school algebra or othercourses credit for those courses toward high school graduation.School district officials interviewed for this study said thesepolicies are in place because the school districts do not have asufficient array of advanced math courses for students in thissituation to take four years of math if they receive credit foralgebra or other courses prior to officially enrolling in high school.Other school officials said their districts believe students shouldnot graduate early since the districts lose ADA funding when thestudent is no longer enrolled in public school.

Funding

Funding issues continue to percolate through the concernsexpressed about advanced placement and dual enrollmentprograms. School districts worry about having sufficient funding topay for pulling teachers out of classrooms with larger numbers ofstudents to serve a small number of advanced placement studentsand worry about the potential loss of ADA if those students takecourses via KVHS or in dual enrollment programs. Postsecondaryinstitutions express concerns about the loss of full-time equivalent(FTE) funding when students enroll as part-time students whilethey are still in high school. Postsecondary institutions involved indual enrollment programs hope they will be able to increase FTEenrollment over time by reaching students who normally would nothave gone into postsecondary education without the dualenrollment outreach programs. KVHS also has expressed concernsabout the viability of the program once grant funding is no longeravailable if it is not replaced by general fund support. In short,

School districts worryabout having sufficientfunding to pay for pullingteachers out of class-rooms with largernumbers of students toserve a small number ofadvanced placementstudents and worry aboutthe potential loss of ADAif those students takecourses via KVHS or indual enrollmentprograms.

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policy makers may need to examine funding mechanisms to ensurethey do not create disincentives in expanding options for studentsto perform at higher levels. To some degree, funding needs tofollow the student, but decision makers may need to address thedegree to which school districts will lose funding when educationalservices are delivered through alternative methods and the degreeto which postsecondary institutions should have tuition waivers ornon-FTE funded services offset by other funding sources.

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TIMETABLE

The 2001 SCR 2 directed the Advanced Placement Programs Sub-committee to develop recommendations for improving advancedplacement programs throughout Kentucky public schools and tosuggest a timetable for implementing those recommendations.Listed below are the Subcommittee’s recommendations and time-table.

Enactment of legislation – 2002 Regular Session to:

? Define “advanced placement,” “dual enrollment,” and “dualcredit”;

? Appropriate funds to the Kentucky Department of Educationand the Council on Postsecondary Education for developinginformation about and providing professional developmentwhich demonstrates the Kentucky Virtual High School and theKentucky Virtual University.

Require the Kentucky Department of Education to:

? Standardize advanced placement core curriculum content,teaching methods, data collection, and reporting by developingthe “Kentucky Virtual AP Academy” prior to the 2003 RegularSession;

? Identify current and future funding sources and other resourcesthat can be directed toward advanced placement, dualenrollment, or dual credit programs prior to the 2003 RegularSession;

? Compare costs of offering advanced placement courses throughtraditional classroom instruction, the Kentucky Virtual HighSchool, and other methods and assist school districts inanalyzing how they can most cost-effectively offer advancedplacement courses prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Expand advanced placement teacher institutes and otherprofessional development for these courses prior to the 2003Regular Session;

? Define or modify existing definitions of “dual enrollment” and“dual credit” to reflect statutory definitions and work with theCouncil on Postsecondary Education and the Education Profes-sional Standards Board to develop guidelines for contentknowledge and teacher training in dual enrollment or dual

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credit programs offered in Kentucky prior to the 2003 RegularSession.

Require local school districts to:

? Offer credit toward high school graduation to non-high schoolstudents who complete high school courses at the same level ofperformance as required of high school students when non-highschool students take those courses before enrolling in highschool prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Provide credit for all Kentucky Virtual High School coursestaken by students from their district for credit and to use thosegrades in the calculation of student grade point averages,making no differentiation between courses taken via KVHS oron-site prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Pay tuition for students from their district who are enrolled inKentucky Virtual High School courses for credit through someproportionate sharing of Average Daily Attendance funds orother funding sources prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

Require school-based decision-making councils to:

? Offer a core advanced placement curriculum, dual enrollment,dual credit program using either traditional on-site instructionor electronic instruction through the Kentucky Virtual HighSchool or other sources, or both prior to the 2003 RegularSession.

Require the Council on Postsecondary Education to:

? Develop administrative regulations that require publicpostsecondary educational institutions to grant credit tostudents who score a “3” or better on a College BoardAdvanced Placement examination prior to the 2003 RegularSession;

? Publish information in print or electronic format about scoresrequired on College Board advanced placement examinationsfor credit or advanced standing to be received at Kentuckypostsecondary institutions prior to the 2003 Regular Session;

? Define “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” in accordance withthe new statutory definition and work with the KentuckyDepartment of Education and the Education ProfessionalStandards Board to develop guidelines for content knowledge

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and teacher training in dual enrollment or dual credit programsoffered in Kentucky prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

Require the Education Professional Standards Board to:

? Define “dual enrollment” and “dual credit” in accordance withthe new statutory definition and work with the KentuckyDepartment of Education and the Council on PostsecondaryEducation to develop guidelines for content knowledge andteacher training in dual enrollment or dual credit programsoffered in Kentucky prior to the 2003 Regular Session.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barth, Patte, et. al., Youth at the Crossroads: Facing High School and Beyond. Washington,DC: The Education Trust, Inc., 2000.

The College Entrance Examination Board and Educational Testing Service, AdvancedPlacement Program, 2000 Kentucky and National Summary Reports, 2000.

_____. ACE Recommendations, http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/colleges/ace001.html.(October 22, 2001).

_____. The Achievement of AP and Non-AP Students,http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/techman/chap5/papers.html. (October 24, 2001).

_____. Expanding Student Access to AP: “AP in Every School,”http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/expanding.html. (April 23, 2001).

_____. Fee Reduction Policy for 2001 AP Examinations,http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/coord/fee_reduction.html. (October 22, 2001).

_____. From Humble Beginnings..., http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/techman/chap1.(April 23, 2001).

_____. How AP Courses and Exams are Developed,http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/techman/chap2/index.html. (October 22, 2001).

Commission on the Future of the Advanced Placement Program, Access to Excellence, 2001.

Gehring, John. “High School, With a College Twist.” Education Week. March 14, 2001, 36-41.

Hiatt, Evelyn Levsky. The Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program. Texas Division ofAdvanced Academic Services, 2001.

Kentucky. Department of Education. Advanced Placement in Kentucky Schools, Presentation tothe Subcommittee on Advanced Placement, Interim Joint Committee on Education, April 30,2001.

_____. The Kentucky Virtual High School. Presentation to the Subcommittee on AdvancedPlacement, Interim Joint Committee on Education, April 30, 2001.

National Commission on the High School Senior Year. The Lost Opportunity of the SeniorYear: Finding a Better Way, January 2001.

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APPENDICES

A. Presenters to the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommittee .......................................39

B. Chart Prepared by Education Professional Standards Boardon Advanced Placement, Classes by District..........................................................................43

C. Chart Prepared by Council on Postsecondary Educationon Advanced Placement Exam Scores at Which KentuckyPublic Universities and Colleges Grant Credit ......................................................................51

D. Chart Prepared by Association of Independent KentuckyColleges and Universities on Advanced Placement Scores at WhichKentucky Independent Universities and Colleges Grant Credit .........................................55

E. School Report of Advanced Placement Examinations 2000-2001 (By State)......................63

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APPENDIX A

Presenters to the Advanced Placement Programs Subcommittee

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APPENDIX A

Presenters to the Subcommittee on Advanced Placement Programs

Agency and Institution Personnel

Dr. Ed Ford, Deputy SecretaryGovernor’s Executive Cabinet

Dr. Gordon K. Davies, PresidentCouncil on Postsecondary Education

Dr. Michael B. McCall, PresidentKentucky Community andTechnical College System

Ms. Starr Lewis, Associate CommissionerAcademic and Professional DevelopmentKentucky Department of Education

Michael Miller, DirectorDivision of Curriculum DevelopmentKentucky Department of Education

Linda Pittenger, DirectorKentucky Virtual High SchoolKentucky Department of Education

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, DirectorDivision of Legislative and Public RelationsEducation Professional Standards Board

Nancy LaCount, ManagerLearning Strategies BranchDivision of Curriculum DevelopmentKentucky Department of Education

Julia Roberts, DirectorAdvanced Placement InstituteWestern Kentucky University

Bill Swinford, Senior AssociatePublic AffairsCouncil on Postsecondary Education

Lee Nimocks, Senior AssociateAssociation of Independent KentuckyColleges and Universities

Students and Teachers

David Cox, TeacherKentucky Virtual High School

Sherry Wright, CounselorJenkins High School

Peggy Vires, CounselorBuckhorn High School

Terri DeYoung, CounselorKentucky Virtual High School

Ben Hall, StudentFrankfort Independent High School (AP Statistics)

Autumn Vanover, StudentJenkins High School (AP English)

Daryl Swartzentruber, StudentBuckhorn High School (AP U.S.

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43

APPENDIX B

Advanced PlacementClasses by District

Prepared by Education P`rofessional Standards Board

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

APPENDIX C

Advanced Placement Exam Scores at Which KentuckyPublic Universities And Colleges Grant Credit

Prepared by Council on Postsecondary Education

52

53

54

55

APPENDIX D

Advanced Placement Scores at WhichKentucky Independent Universities and Colleges Grant Credit

Prepared by Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

APPENDIX E

School Report of Advanced Placement Examinations2000-2001 (By State)

64

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