Common Core changes AP tests and how students learn

As the year comes to a close, the school will be adapting completely to the California State Common Core standards in order to prepare for next year’s permanent curriculum change.

Along with the Common Core changes, which emphasize a curriculum that focuses on experiencing the subject rather than memorizing facts, the AP exams for various subjects will be affected by the new standards.

“It will probably take teachers a year or two to see how the nature of test questions evolves,” AP Physics teacher Kirk Davis said. “They should be questions that require slightly more reasoning and explanation to get full credit and so AP scores may dip a bit for one or two years while students adapt.”

Common Core will force students to explain their work in a more in-depth manner. For example, in math classes, students will need to explain their thought process in the work and problems they solve.

Sophomore Daniel Eem is in favor of the new standards explaining that it is a “good concept because it is better fitted to test intellectuals.”

Though this seems like a big change, principal Paul Robinson explained that it is nothing that students haven’t seen before.

“All grades are experiencing the changes right now,” Robinson said. “It’s a more subtle change to the curriculum and many lessons students have already experienced have their foundation in Common Core already. Students just didn’t know that they were already experiencing it.”

AP Chemistry teacher Kathy Nakamatsu is one of the teachers who has been completely revising her curriculum to adapt to Common Core standards.

“I’ve made an effort to put more pictures and graphs into my lecture notes so the students can think more,” Nakamatsu said. “I’ve also tried to give students conceptual types of questions, which deal with good thought process and logic, on homework and on exams.”

Nakamatsu explained some of the specifics of the changes to AP Chemistry, saying that the AP exam places more emphasis on critical thinking and conceptual problems. A typical problem on the new test may have students analyzing graphs and data and drawing conclusions from them, lowering the number of mathematically based problems on the test.

The Common core changes and the modifications to AP tests go hand in hand.

“AP Chemistry is changing the way they test this year and AP Biology had some changes that were made last year,” Robinson said. “AP Physics is next in line for changes. This is mainly because College Board is always looking to make the AP experience tougher and more refined.”

Robinson is optimistic about the new landscape in education.

“With a focus on literacy and application of learning you can’t go wrong,” Robinson said. “Common Core is about good teaching and we have the best teachers around who are working to make this experience great for everyone.”