Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools Report of the Content Panel for Biology (2002) / Chapter Skim
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6. Summary and Discussions of Recommendations
6. Summary and Discussions of Recommendations
Pages 37-44
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From page 37... ...
The panel realizes that implementation of such a system is a daunting undertaking Whereas the IBO presently oversees about 350 programs in the United States, the College Board must deal with about 7,000 programs, and this number is growing Nevertheless, we believe strongly that a more organized system of preservice training and certification will be necessary to achieve greater uniformity in the quality of AP biology instruction 2. Certification and assessments of both the AP and IB programs by the College Board and the IBO, respectively, should be designed to ensure that changing emphases in standards for teaching, professional development, assessment, and content, as set forth in the National Science Education standards (USES)
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From page 38... ...
The term can also denote the granting of either elective credit or general unit credit, which advances the student toward graduation on the basis of college-level work done in high school. The panel is recommending only discontinuation of automatic advanced placement in the first sense, that is, the practice of exempting students from a required course on the basis of AP or IB exam scores alone.
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From page 39... ...
Benefits of Implementing This Recommendation .~ Several undesirable aspects of the AP and IB programs discussed in this report tend to be maintained by a complex set of historical precedents; vested interests; and interdependencies among schools, school boards, state governments, teachers, parents, students, universities, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the College Board, and the IBO.
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From page 40... ...
Lack of Negative Effect on Current and Potential Benefits of the AP and IB Programs If this recommendation were implemented, none of the major benefits of the AP and IB programs to their various constituents would be lost: · For universities, superior performance in AP or IB courses would remain a good predictor of success in college-level work. · For schools, AP and IB courses would still represent high-profile enrichment programs that increase a school's prestige and attract better students, better teachers, and possibly additional state support.
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From page 41... ...
Prospects for Implementing This Recommendation No organization or agency is in a position to mandate such a recommendation; universities are free to use the results of AP and IB examinations in any way they like within the constraints of state laws. However, given the enormous popularity of the AP program among its many constituencies and the increasing number of IB programs, the College Board and the IBO should have considerable leverage that could be used to promote meaningful change in high school biology education.
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From page 42... ...
5. Both the AP and IB curricula should be updated to include topics of major current interest in biology, such as cell signaling, development, genomics, molecular systematics, and their evolutionary implications.
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From page 43... ...
The need for reform is systemic. Like the AP and IB programs, colleges and universities should revise or improve introductory biology courses as necessary to bring them into line with the recommendations made in this report for high school advanced study courses.
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From page 44... ...
Three solid findings about how humans learn can make a big difference if used to drive course design and teaching. The principles of adapting instruction to students' current knowledge, monitoring students' conceptual development continuously, and integrating metacognitive tasks and skills (self-assessment by students of their own levels of understanding)
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