Posts tagged with advanced.

Enriched programs: right for your child?

Kathy Dobson, May 19, 2009 at 2:21 PM

When it comes to university, it's never too early to start planning for success.

The choice between academic and applied courses in high school is only the first step. Once your child is on the path to university, what tools and options are available to help prepare them for that goal?

Because for some students, the high school-university jump is a complete culture shock.

Suddenly, they have to juggle five classes instead of four. A semester is compressed into 12 concentrated weeks instead of five months.

Depending on which degree they're pursuing, they might have several tutorials and labs.

With the Advanced Placement (AP) program, students can ease into the higher academic demands and stress of university - while still in high school. There are 37 AP courses to choose from, including calculus, chemistry, computer science, music theory, art history, and Chinese language and culture. Because the course demands are comparable to university level courses, the program is an internationally recognized standard of academic excellence. AP students may also be granted advanced placement or credit at universities.

My two oldest, Jenny and Scott, were shocked by the difference in pace between high school and university. They were both excellent students in high school, disciplined about homework and assignments, with great GPAs. Yet their first semester at the University of Waterloo had them both scrambling for a while just to catch up.

I still remember their amazement at how much was covered in just the first two weeks of classes. The first week of physics lectures covered everything they had learned from grades 9 to 12.

Although offered in 510 Canadian high schools, with more than 13,000 Canadian students enrolled in 2008, it isn't available yet in the Cornwall area where my kids attended high school (except for one semester). I wish it had been. For my two oldest, I think it would have been a good fit.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the course load during their first semester, the pace would have felt familiar. And if they had been able to make use of transfer credits, their course load could have been reduced from five classes a semester to four - a huge help for such a challenging transition.

Last week I wrote about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which is often described as being a "passport" to post-secondary education. So how is AP different from IB?

Both offer an enriched academic experience for your child. Both can result in larger entrance scholarships for university. (And both are two-letter acronyms.)

The main difference: flexibility.

Whereas IB is a rigorous, all-encompassing specific and rigid curriculum, AP can be tailored to your child's individual interests and academic strengths.

IB = rigorous curriculum

AP = individually tailored curriculum

Both programs demand discipline, a strong work ethic, and above average study habits.

Unlike my two oldest, my 13-year-old son, David, does have the options of IB and AP available to him. Both programs are offered where we live now, in Kitchener. But I’m still not sure what would be in his best interest. These programs mean a level of commitment not all kids are prepared or able to make. David doesn't seem interested in either program at the moment.

As a parent, how do you decide which program, if either, is best suited for your child? Our ambitions for our children's academic future shouldn't play a leading role when it comes to making these kinds of decisions. In order to truly succeed in the AP or IB program, a student has to want to be involved and ready to make the enormous commitment that both programs require.

When it comes to my son David, I'm still not sure which path he'll ultimately choose. Just like the IB program, AP is a wonderful opportunity. For the right student.

So what's the first step in deciding which program is right for your child? Perhaps the realization that neither is a good fit. And that's okay, too.

Tagged with high, school, enriched, academic, programs, placement, curriculum, advanced | Comments (11) |