Wilson Smerconish ’16: In light of an upcoming external department review, the Upper School English department is considering supplementing or perhaps substituting the current AP English seminars with a fully-credited AP English course. For years the English Department has discussed changing the AP English seminar program, offered to fifth form students, in order to cater to student needs. With an external department review coming during the winter season, the Upper School English office is considering this change now more than ever.
Christopher McCreary, Chair of the English Department, stated that, “Every few years teachers or professors from outside the school will come and look at your curriculum and the way you teach, and will help you to think of ways to refine it.” A question that the English department plans to ask the external review is whether or not to make a class out of the AP seminar. McCreary noted that many Inter-Ac schools are beginning to move away from the idea of AP classes all together, making this decision even more difficult.
Photo Courtesy of Leigh Adelizzi ’15
Currently, once every twelve-day rotation, fifth form students have the option of taking an AP English seminar taught by Anne Barr, Upper School English teacher. This seminar is offered to those students who are interested in taking the AP English exam later that could be used to meet college requirements or simply expand the student’s education in English language and literature. If a student attends all seminar sessions and scores a three or above, on a scale from one to five, on one of the two AP English exams, the student’s fifth form English class will become an honors level class on the student’s transcript.
A contributing factor to the department’s consideration of an AP English class is the level of interest among students who currently take the AP English exam. Out of the fifth form class, about 75 students will take at least one of the two AP English exams later this year. However, if AP English is provided as a class, it would be very unlikely for all of these students to be able to take it. Reilly Dugery ’15, who is currently taking the AP English seminars, prefers the seminar over a class. She stated, “I think a class would be too much. The seminar is already helpful and effective.” Gianna Smith ‘15 also added that a seminar “is definitely more convenient because I only have to worry about it once a cycle.” Smith also believes that the History Department “should use the same method for the AP World History Exam.”
McCreary said he and his colleagues also have to weigh the options. The seminar may appeal more to students who enjoy reviewing at home on their own rather than in a classroom environment.
If the English Department moves forward with the class, McCreary said, “We won’t suddenly enter in with three years worth of AP Courses. It will have to be a gradual thing.”
He stated that as of now, “EA students do really well [on the AP English exams] and in a way maybe scores would tick up. But I think what interests us more than anything is giving students who love to read and love to write a chance to push themselves in class everyday as opposed to making it just about getting a four or five on the exam. It’s really about the experience of the class and getting the students to read a lot of great books that they don’t get to read through the regular upper school English curriculum.” The likely increase in exam scores is the “icing on the cake” as McCreary put it. The cake itself would be the actual learning aspect of the class.
No final decision will be made until the external review in February. However, the English department looks to be heading more in the direction of an actual AP English class, even if they are unsure of what the actual course would look like. McCreary said they plan on having a definite decision by spring.