A report released Friday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute examined the effectiveness of the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs in educating high school students, citing room for improvement in the areas of history and mathematics.
According to the institute's communications director, Jeff Kuhner, the purpose of the study was essentially "to do an overview of the AP and IB programs and see if they deserve the reputation they have in the wider public."
Researchers examined four core areas of study: biology, English, mathematics and history, with each area receiving a grade based on courses' content, rigor and clarity. Kuhner noted English and biology received the best ratings.
"AP and IB programs on a whole do deserve their reputation," he said. "They are very solid and rigorous. In biology and English especially, they have very high academic standards as well as tests that are aligned to those standards, so not only do students have to know a lot, they have to be tested on that material as well."
According to Kuhner, however, the institute is concerned with the history courses offered by both the AP and IB programs and their focus on teaching trends and general themes, rather then more substantive content.
"We think [this focus] will dilute the content," Kuhner said. "We think it is very important to be factual and empirical in teaching American history. We would like to keep the traditionalist approach [of] a strong focus on facts, events and key ideas that helped shape and develop the United States."
Kuhner also noted that the institute has hesitations about the math programs of both AP and IB, noting that these programs could be more rigorous and could include more effective testing.
According to Kuhner, in addition to studying specifically the successes and shortcomings of AP and IB programs, the institute hopes to raise national and state standards of education in the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, advocating a "private sector-driven national standard" for education.
Despite the criticisms of the AP and IB programs, University Dean of Admissions John Blackburg noted that "the AP and IB programs are really the most rigorous programs offered in the U.S."
Blackburn said students who take advantage of AP or IB courses in high school tend to perform better academically in college, adding that although the IB and AP programs are not perfect, "they are always working [toward] improvement."
Blackburn also noted prospective University students are encouraged to take advantage of AP and IB courses when available, adding that if a prospective student comes from a high school where such courses are offered and has not taken them, "it's unusual that they would be admitted here"
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