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The Crimson

The student news site of Bernards High School

The Crimson

The student news site of Bernards High School

The Crimson

Current school schedule should not be changed to help with AP exams

The+calendar+for+the+2022-2023+school+year+found+on+the+districts+website
Emma Swope
The calendar for the 2022-2023 school year found on the district’s website

High schools nationwide offer AP (advanced placement) courses in order to help students earn college credit. In order to obtain these credits, students must take one or more AP exams in May and score preferably above a 3. The week of exams is typically a stressful time for students, as they have to review an entire course load, or even multiple, prior to the exam. In order to accommodate those participating in the exams, multiple high schools are changing their schedules to start earlier in the year. This way, they will have more time dedicated to learning and reviewing, and leave less of the cramming up to the students. While there are benefits to a shift in the school year, the majority of BHS students report that it is fine the way it is currently.
In a survey sent out to sophomore, junior, and senior students, they are asked to report their feelings about the AP exams. The questions focused on time management and overall feelings about the exams.
The results were overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of participants stating that they felt they had enough time to complete the exam. Additionally, most people shared that they felt like moving the school year ahead would not help their ultimate performance on the AP exam. However, while results indicate positive feelings toward the current schedule, students are not fully satisfied. Pat Griffin ‘23, while answering yes to the question “Did you feel like you had enough time to complete your exam?”, also shared that he thinks “some of [his] AP classes could have used a bit more time to review for the exam after we finish covering all of the material.”
Those who agreed with a change of the school schedule provided their reasoning for doing so. Logan Heyer ‘23 explained that “starting the school year sooner will be beneficial for test scores, both AP and standardized” as well as providing “other positives, like getting out for break right after testing.”
The overall consensus was that little change is necessary, yet those who disagreed had reasonable solutions. In order to ensure a good testing experience for as many students as possible, a good place to start may be to leave enough time in classes before the exam to review.

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