posted on January 12, 2011 12:17
Amidst concerns that class curriculum can become too focused on "teaching the test," the Advance Placement courses offered to high school juniors and seniors will be undergoing a major revision. The College Board, the non-profit organization that is responsible for both AP exams and the SATs, will be releasing new guidelines for AP biology and US history next month.
The revisions include a new curriculum framework that takes the focus away from memorization of every fact presented, and instead affords students the time to explore key concepts in depth. Encouraging more conceptual thinking, the new course guidelines emphasize critical thinking, application of knowledge, and problem-solving skills. The shift comes from the understanding that these skills are crucial to student success both in and outside of the class room.
Click here to read the article in the New York Times.
Written by Christopher Drew for The New York Times, January 7, 2011.