History of the Advance Placement Programs

The Advance Placement Program has become the leading educational excellence in the secondary schools in the United States. The program offers rough curricula and assessment to high school students. The AP result will be the basis for college courses, if you fail the courses you prefer, you will end up taking the course that don’t require a higher grade. This year alone, almost 2 million students have taken the exam, showing how necessary it is for college hopefuls.

The program started in 1955, its original intent was to provide students the opportunity to take college-level coursework and earn college credit while still in high school. Originally, AP was used almost exclusively for purposes of college credit and placement, as different from admissions.

There is a wide gap between secondary and higher education in the early part of the twentieth century. In two studies supported by the Ford Foundation, educators endorsed that secondary schools and colleges should work together to elude repetition in course work at the high school and college levels. The recommendation aims to motivate students to work at the height of their capabilities and to advance their skills as quickly as possible.

In the 1960s, the College Board activated a long-term pledge to teacher development. There was a good result as secondary school teachers had improved through the program. The number of schools that included AP to their advanced academic offerings had increased between 1970 and 1980. Over the years, the access to AP was expanded by the College Board by introducing Pre-AP Initiatives and AP Vertical Teams to aid students, targeting more the students in mid grade. The preparation for the AP at the moment has been advanced and has been in an utmost importance in most schools. Learning the history of the advance placement programs could make you understand its importance.

 

About the CLEP Exam

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) was developed by the College Board, and is the most widely used credit-by-examination program. It is available at more than 2,900 colleges and universities. After passing any of the 34 CLEP exams, you can accomplish your college and career goals in nursing. The program is very helpful because it requires a smaller amount of money compared to paying the whole college course fees.

There are many organizations that offer courses for preparation of CLEP and DSST exams. They provide helpful online study guides that give you the content to prepare for CLEP test. The content of these guides has been focused and is easy to follow. It assists students to prepare for exams without pressuring them too much. The College Board also publishes study guides containing sample tests for all exams. These sample tests are important because they are in similar form with the actual exam.

There is a specially designed CLEP Testing phase in which one can take 4 course tests in one month with a 100% pass rate. This equals to 24 college credits. The main advantages of CLEP exams for a student are to save money that is approx $21,600 per student and also save time. Taking the necessary preparation is needed to pass the CLEP exam. Make sure you are fully equipped with knowledge and some techniques before the examination.

 

CLEP Tests Removed in Towson

The Registrar’s Office of the Towson University has announced that they will no longer be a testing site for the College-Level Examination Program tests, a program that provide students chances to gain course credits without finishing the class.

The Towson declared they would no more be offering students with the CLEP test. “Towson would like to provide the test for students, but we’re just not able to do it right now,” she said. Hyman said that Towson will still be recognizing test ratings that the school has accepted from other examining websites.

For many decades, the CLEP test has been an aid for students to help them fulfill their graduating work deadlines. It also allows students, who have encounter outside of an excellent through other employments, to convert that experience into course attributes.

The College Board that controls the CLEP test, SAT, ACT and other tests, declared last drop that they have restructured the test to an “internet-based testing” structure.  The test is now being organized and obtained on the internet. The reorganization would need Towson to offer extra employees, coaching for the employees and extra managers for the examining middle to be able to maintain an examining website.

According to the College Board’s web page, to use the new examining application would also need the school to eliminate the examining computer’s PC fire walls and change their system fire walls.  Hyman said that Workplace of Technological innovation Solutions would not allow any changes to the system firewall system. Hyman said that she has approached Higher education Panel in an make an effort to settle the examining specifications, but has not obtained a reaction from the company.

According to the Registrar’s office, the school has given 313 tests over the last three decades and has accepted 35 test ratings from other websites. Jean Foley, the system control professional for the Registrars Workplace, said many of the students that take the CLEP test are bookkeeping degrees. “Accounting students take the tests so that they can fulfill the 150 credit score need to take the Qualified Community Financial advisor Examination,” she said.

Junior college student and Chief executive of the Towson University Group of Student Accounting Marta Niguse said that she has been conscious of the stopping for a while and has instructed students to other examining websites.

Niguse said that the travel would be an difficulty for students but provided that the attributes are transferable it wouldn’t be a problem.

A record of available websites can be discovered on the College Panel web page.  Hyman said the University will still be offering Retail Examination and Assessments, tests just like the CLEP but with less course choices, to students. The College Panel’s Emails division recognized, through e-mail, that the examining process has been modified but did not opinion on the University’s scenario.

CLEP Basic Questions

If you’re looking to go to college to finish your degree in a field that you already have some experience in, you might want to check into the CLEP, or College-Level Examination Program.  This is an exam-for-credits program that is run by the College Board, the same company that designed and provides the SAT’s and the AP’s.  By successfully testing out of training that you are already acquainted with, you can save a lot of both cash and time on your degree.

1.  Who are they for?  The CLEPs are usually recommended for learners with some real-world experience in the subject they are being tested on.  Army members, those who have served internships and those who have developed on-the-job skills make strong applicants for getting credits through exams.  It’s essential to know beforehand that the assessments are usually identified as being pretty challenging, so you’ll want to ensure that you have an excellent knowledge of the subject, or you’ll end up wasting cash on the test and then having to take the course anyway.

2. How much do they cost?  Each test is $80, obviously more affordable than a college course, but it can add up if you’re trying to test out of a lot of topics.  While the CLEPs are definitely a less expensive choice than a conventional college course, this is certainly not a simple way out of college sessions.  If you don’t have a strong knowledge on the subject, it’s probably not suggested to try testing out of something that is required knowledge in your field.

3.  What colleges and universities accept them?  While the College Board indicates that CLEP credits are approved by some 2,900 colleges and universities, it might be of interest to note that there are about 4,600 degree-granting organizations in the U.S., which means there is a very excellent possibility that your university won’t take these credits.  Many of the top U.S. educational organizations have ceased getting these credits completely and many more have put a limit on the number of credits that you can get in this way. The best way is to check out your college or university’s web page and look for details on Credit-by-Examination.  If they don’t have it posted, you can get in touch with the registrar’s office and they should be able to help you.

Advanced Placement Courses Population Falls

The number of Sioux Falls learners getting advanced placement courses decreased almost 8% last school year over the year before, partially because of an overall decrease in secondary school registration, authorities said. Slightly more than 2,000 learners registered in advanced placement courses in the Sioux Falls School District last school year, down about 170 learners from the year before. The figures were provided to the Sioux Falls School Board. Officials said the figures drop in range with the pattern the district has been seeing over the years and are not a big issue. “The comfort is, this year’s performance decreased in range with the long run,” Superintendent Pam Homan said. Board member Todd Thoelke said he would like to see more children using the programs.

“It’s a great program and I know the dedication from learners is remarkable. It gives them a glance inside the world of higher education,” he said. “It also gives them a step up for when that day comes.” Students are provided a wide range of different advanced placement courses, with the program determined by the company College Board, covering composition, history, geography, chemistry and Spanish, among others. Some classes are provided during the school day in a class room, but others are provided online, which can help learners who cannot fit a particular class into their schedule.

At the end of the course, learners have the choice to take an AP examination. Test results are reported on a range of 1-5 and learners must accomplish a grade of 3 or greater in order for the course to be regarded for college credit. Last school year, 70% of Sioux Falls learners who took an AP examination passed. The national passing rate is 61%. There is benefit both for learners to take the examination and educational institutions to motivate their learners to do so, said Laura Raeder, high school curriculum coordinator for the school district. Students can take the AP examination at a price of $87, generally less than the price of a college credit. The district subsidizes the price for learners who have financial need but are not eligible for support through other means.

Earning a Degree thru Credit by Exam

When Erick Dillard made the decision to get his online bachelors degree from Excelsior College back in 2002, he was working and raising two children. He didn’t have the luxury of going to school full-time, and he wanted to get his degree on his schedule. The 48-year-old Army veteran made the decision to test out of some of his online course specifications. By the time he completed it, he would save lots of money and obtained credit for 15 courses in his strategic communications degree, all without getting the formal classes. “I would come home and study all night and all evening,” says Dillard, who sometimes completed two courses a month through credit by exam.

Earning a degree doesn’t always have to be a huge time or investment decision. Progressively, older students like Dillard are speeding up their education and cutting expenses by using programs that award credit for past learning, says Pam Tate, chief executive and CEO of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. Earning credit by exam can be a great choice for adults who have already learned the course material through previous jobs or military experience, experts say. And it can be a particularly eye-catching choice for online students, who enjoy versatility and who are acquainted to a regimented, self-guided approach to learning.

“It’s popular” among online students, says Bill Stewart, associate vice chairman for Institutional Advancement at Excelsior College, which allows students to test out of class. “And some individuals use them to a significant degree and some individuals use them to complete holes in their specifications to meet their degree.” The idea of examining out of school courses is not a new idea. The College Level Examination Program, applied through the College Board, started giving students the choice to get credit for a range of programs in the late Sixties. When students take one of the 33 CLEP assessments, such as chemistry or American literary works, they are first provided a list of information they should understand before the evaluation. It’s up to the student to track down research materials and prepare for the analyze, which expenses about $80 plus a examining fee.

“We are realizing that some of the biggest on the internet colleges, like Thomas Edison State College, have a very strong cohort of exam-takers,” says Suzanne McGurk, senior assessment administrator at the College Board. “I think that really resonates with online students who are used to doing things at their own speed.”

What You Can Save From CLEP Exams

College Level Examination Program, or CLEP exams, are academic exams developed by the College Board, creators of the SAT. Generally, CLEP exams are 90 minutes long and include multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, apart from the English Composition with Essay examination. The current fee for a CLEP examination is $65, which is a small price to pay considering the cost of college tuition these days. If you take two science programs, you can save roughly $1,200 in college tuition costs and about $150 in books! Basically, CLEP exams generally adhere to the content provided in entry-level college classes. A CLEP examination may be based on a single term course, a two-semester course, or even a two-year course (foreign ‘languages’, etc.). Based on your college (or upcoming college), you may be provided three, six, or even 12 hours of credit for each CLEP examination.

Nearly 3,000 organizations agree to CLEP exams for school credit. Although the American Council on Education suggests lowest ratings for giving credit, it is the organizations themselves that eventually figure out the lowest ranking for credit to be provided, as well as the amount of credit ranking provided for each CLEP examination.

CLEP Examinations are currently available for the following subjects:

  • Business
  • Foreign Languages
  • Composition
  • Literature
  • History
  • Social Sciences
  • Science
  • Math

Schools, colleges and universities differ in their treatment of CLEP examinations. Review your college’s CLEP policies to find out what examinations you may take, the ratings you must get and any appropriate deadlines/requirements. Remember that some institutions offer substitute credit for life experience without taking a CLEP examination. For example, if you are an entrepreneur, you may be able to get management and accounting credit, depending on your business. If you are a recruiting manager, you might be able to get substitute portfolio credit as well. It will differ by business. Sometimes, you may just be granted optional credit for substitute learning, but either way, you are not wasting time and money!

Advanced Placement Courses Makeover

To the many in the world of education and learning change, the newest AP Report to the Nation released lately by the College Board is cause for party on two fronts. The first accomplishment has to do with value.  During the program’s early history in the Sixties, Advanced Placement Courses were generally applied by white students.  Even as late as the mid-1990s, 80 percent of AP examinations were taken by whites or Asians.  Today, however, approximately a third of learners on the program are non-Asian learners of color.  And that number is growing every year.

The second accomplishment has to do with learning and training.  By the twenty-first millennium, AP was being assailed by its experts for unable to progress.  While college teachers progressively advised learners through closer examinations of topics with an alignment toward critical thinking and hands-on work, the Advanced Placement Courses continue to highlight survey-style coverage and content recall skills.  This newest report, however, details a course and examination upgrade that brings Advanced Placement Courses back to normal with “current methods while attending college education.”  And according to the College Board, changes in all subject matter will be significant. Both of these improvements are the result of effort, financial dedication (the Department of Education alone has invested one fourth of a billion dollars on its AP Incentive Program), and serious initiatives by everyone concerned to advertise the twin goals of value and quality. The problem, however, is that AP can do very little to actually recognize those goals.

Plan leaders, of course, are conscious of the restricted achievements of their labors, both through the Advanced Placement Courses and through other technically-oriented university enhancement initiatives.  Still, they keep favoring centrally-designed changes that can be applied in a top-down way because they get around the unforeseen and time-consuming work of engaging stakeholders, developing university potential, and creating a politically brave plan.  Consequently, their initiatives, while well-intended, never deal with the actual problems that impact school quality and academic value.  To use a metaphor of Larry Cuban’s, they make storm-tossed wave on the ocean’s surface without distressing the strong current below.

Guides for CLEP Exams

In the more advanced world, Education and learning is a primary need for all human beings. Most people cannot continue their study due to some reason. Military personnel whose time is mostly spent in missions are not able to continue their education such as 4 year college degree. CLEP and DSST are examinations that give them opportunity to get college credit for learning obtained outside the conventional educational setting. This is a very useful system.

There are many companies that run programs for planning of CLEP and DSST examinations. The College-Level Evaluation Program (CLEP) is the most commonly approved credit-by-examination system, was developed by the College Board. It is available at more than 2,900 schools. There is need to complete any of the 34 CLEP examinations and after passing it, you can accomplish your college and profession objectives. The course is designed in as short as 4 days, so you are able to take CLEP test on the 5th day and earn credit from the course. It is helpful to get college credit for what you already know, for a little sum of cash.

There are many companies that offer a very beneficial on the internet CLEP study guides that gives you the material to prepare for the CLEP exams. The content of these guides is so simple that learners can easily prepare for the examinations. The College Board also post study information containing sample assessments for all examinations. There are unique tips for exam takes to make the exam easier. In the CLEP review, you do not have to pay for every detail. There are services that offer many study guides. Some of them are easily available to prepare you for your topic and others have a set price range.