Previewing the AP Capstone program at Burnaby North Secondary School
Today’s entry is just a preview of what is being discussed in the Burnaby School District, and there will be a follow-up blog entry after the upcoming school board meeting reflecting on any new information that is gained about the program.
The Burnaby School Board is currently discussing different kinds of advanced courses for students to undertake, which can be used for first year university credit. The school district currently uses the Advance Placement program, which was designed by the College Board of America and allows students to register for a course and May exam that can be counted towards first year credit, assuming the student’s grade on the May examination is high enough to award credit. The current program focuses on fast-tracking students through the Ministry of Education curriculum in the grade 11 year, allowing the whole grade 12 AP course to be focused on the material relevant to the AP examination, in effect making the AP program a minimum of a two year stream for students dedicated and talented enough to challenge the exam relevant to that discipline. Students are generally able to register for whichever courses their teachers and administrators feel they are capable of succeeding in, based on past year’s successes and failures. This creates situations where students have a collection of different AP exam results with no unifying theme beyond all counting for first year credit.
This compares negatively with the International Baccelaureate program, which is used in other nearby districts where students are streamed into a high school career long program encompassing multiple disciplines, with the overall goal being for students to obtain course credit in all of the courses in their IB program. The Burnaby School Board is currently discussing and investigating the feasibility of re-introducing the IB program to Burnaby, as it was shut down last decade from lack of interest in the program. The AP Capstone Program, which is also being discussed, is an attempt by the College Board to create a similar level of unity in their students by having a series of courses that are taken at the grade 11 and 12 years that are common to all students in the capstone. Students would have the opportunity to pursue AP courses in the disciplines of their choice, but they would also have to complete these unifying courses which are focused on research and inquiry, essential skills for future university students. My own experience lies within the Advance Placement program, and I found it helpful to know that while I was interested in the AP psychology class, I would not have to take the AP examination or course in world history or human geography, which were courses where I was less certain of my ability to succeed. I did end up taking the AP world history course and examination, but that was by choice instead of by requirement as it may have been through the IB program.
With regards to the field of education and how this relates to me as a teacher candidate, I’m quite excited for this program and look forward to one day being a part of a school that offers it to their students. I believe that having these kinds of advanced programs is beneficial for students who want to gain extra credit and are motivated enough to do the work that needs to be completed. My main concern as a new teacher is to gain a better understanding of how it is determined which teachers are selected to teach these courses. I imagine that these advanced courses are given to teachers with longer tenure and more experience in the topic area, and who thus are more likely to be prepared to deal with students who are able to move at a faster pace. I know that for me that is one of my major worries that I would be asked to teach a course like this and not be able to help my students progress as quickly as they are able and interested in proceeding.
Hopefully the upcoming school board meeting can provide some additional insights into the program and determine how these different advance programs are planning to be run out of a single school district.