Excuses, excuses.

So there is no relation between any of what you just mentioned?
My other concern is what the hell is going in the rest of the country if we are at the top? No wonder we are so far gone compared to the rest of the world. We have to import engineers, scientists, mathematicians etc. But hey if you think it works have at it.

@CP So the fact that my K-12 education was from MD public schools (Went to UMBC as well) means I'm an anomaly then, right? Especially, since I'm a successful software engineer.

I never said that Charles. Also you're not the only to take AP. It's what you make of it. Anyone can get through high school. College is all about what you make of it. My point is that I feel that the current curriculum are doing our kids an injustice. I'm happy you received 22 credits. I took 2 classes for 2 years and received 18.

All they do in public school is teach for the test. No one learns anything.

Might have been based on or equivalent to a state test? I took a test that was designed by the school itself.

When is the last time you were in a public school? Private schools take the same AP tests btw. What I'm saying is the current curriculum is geared for preparing for tests. MSPAP or whatever its called now and AP.

@CP I haven't been in high school for over 10yrs. I realize all students take the same AP test. My point is that you can't just teach to the AP test. Yes, I realize there are tests (SAT and MSPAP) like that. Have you taken an AP test? You have to actually apply knowledge and use it in real situations. You might be able to regurgitate a bunch of physics formulas, but you will not pass the AP Physics test if you don't know how they apply to a real situation.

The truth is, some people are just bitter at life, and want nothing more then their own home state to fail at things because they don't agree with how it's run.

You know, that shooting from the hip will eventually catch up with you.

AP tests are not for the general student population, but rather for students in higher-level classes. They are not like MSPAP. Please try to keep up.

My daughter graduated from the IB program at Kenwood and was 3 credits short of completing her Freshman year when she graduated high school. She went to one of the top 5 colleges in the Northeast and was vastly more well-prepared for college work than most of her classmates. Baltimore County magnet programs rock!

Yes I have taken AP tests. My wife is a teacher and knows what a disaster all of this is. Take this ranking with a few grains of salt. @Tim. Who's bitter? I'm not. Besides I'm sending my kids to private school.

CP says "Besides I'm sending my kids to private school." Wow, not bitter?

Bitter? No i can afford it. It also gives them a better chance.

Are you aware that private school teachers don't require the same certifications as a public school teacher? CP, have you ever taken an AP exam? You can't teach to the test, especially in a language AP exam. Stop making excuses and bashing the educational system.
Our three kids go to private school (for the religious aspect of it) and I can definitely see its not above public school. Public schools have much more to offer.
There is definitely more rigor and more classes offered in public school. More choices and more challenges given to them.

Private schooling being 'superior' to public school is an old wives tale perpetrated by people who like justifying all of the money they blow on it. Build up that imaginary superiority complex.

What you DO get from a private school is better student/teacher ratios, which can really help if your child needs that extra attention in learning.
Other then that, private schooling isn't appreciably superior in anything but cost.

Tim, How would you know if you've never been? I've been in both. It's night and day. Don't be jealous. My parents were teachers (public) on a teachers salary and sacrificed to send me to private high school.

Tim, apparently from a sample size of one, you are 100% correct. Small sample size though, probably not statistically valid.

CP: I can draw on my own experiences from public and private schools in New York (another upper tier education rated state).
I draw upon the several acquintances I know both at work and socially whose kids go to Maryland private schools now. I know a couple who are public school teachers, and their children go to public school by choice.

Honestly, I'd have looked to put my kid in private school if I didn't live in "a good area", with a highly rated public school system. There is certainly rationale for going the private school route if the particular schools where you live aren't up to snuff. All public schools aren't the same quality. Perhaps your parents put you in private school because of this scenario. Or maybe they just fed into the hype, wanted to keep up with the 'neighbors'.

Jealous? Nah, not at all. I put my kid in 4 years of Goddard School because I was certain it was worth the money. When I looked into a couple of local private schools for kindergarden, I saw nothing to remotely indicate that they would be superior to Gunpowder Elementary at all. I still don't today.

FIFA - of course, this particular topic doesn't really lend itself to a lot of hard statistics.

Especially when there's a subset of people who want to universally discount the ones that are provided, such as in this article.

CP stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

Prerequisite? No they are college level.

Somehow I feel fortunate that i don't.

Thanks for the explanation. I saw my niece's AP text books. They are basically the same as the college textbooks for the equivalent classes, which is why you can get college credit for passing the AP Test (not for passing the class).

Many students who take the AP class don't take or pass the AP Test because it is extremely difficult. That's why there are statistical distinctions between how many students take the class, take the test, and pass the test. For Maryland to have the highest percentage of students actually passing AP tests is a significant achievement. To be able to beat out Massachusetts is admirable too.

This is why I get defensive. I was able to go to college with 22 credits already because of AP tests. I worked hard to earn that. I think it was around $75 for each test, which was well worth it. My teachers did a great job teaching me material, but certainly did not hand feed me answers.

Teachers frequently teach from test. Common knowledge. Most are tenured and cant be fired for it.

AND, some colleges will only accept a 4 or higher. 3 is no longer the "passing" grade for some universities.

Maria it's always been like that. I took AP classes 20 years ago. And if your paying for school and it is not any better then a public school you need to rethink your choices.

CP, Not it hasn't always been like that. Even today there are some colleges which will take a score of three as credit. They just won't receive as many credits as someone who received a 4-5.

I am not as smart as a lot of people or any of the bots here. But there is one thing I do know.

Never buy a used double-wide from a guy named Earl.

Ha!

Perhaps CP "knows" what his wife tells him. One round of the 'gossip game' - with something lost in the transfer.

Not quite Honeygo. My father was an administrator in HoCo for 30 years.

CP, just cause my dad was a rocket scientist doesn't make me an expert on the field. If anything, we should be discussing this with your dad, not you. Now we know the real truth about it. I welcome you to spend a day in a school and teach a class of 3o students. Will you take the challenge?

Maria go vacuum.

There's a shock, a little misogyny from CP? Nah, he doesn't sound the type does he?

yerp

CP, Really? is that the best you can do? You clearly have nothing to say and that's why you said "go vacuum". lol. Good one! IS that because I'm correct? lol.

See above Harford. Under Charles' comment. I'm glad your family is working out for you.

@CP So what exactly is your issue with the tests. Are you saying they shouldn't be offered? You say, "My point is that I feel that the current curriculum are doing our kids an injustice." What do you suggest should be available to children that excel then, if not AP classes?

Yo CP, all the time you spent copping or being a cop on Whitelock must have made you delete that. Heh heh.

Sorry, Earl, I obviously don't know the biz.

CP I for one am glad you decided to act like an adult and join the rest of the AP class.

What co. was that? My man!

You are correct. I did lump them together.

The same could be said of those who complain about their neighbors.