June 29, 2001

Online AP Courses Are Not the Answer

To the Editor:

Teachers in South Dakota say that it was a lack of motivation and discipline that led to a dismal completion rate for high-school students taking online Advanced Placement courses ("South Dakota Finds Mixed Results With Online A.P. Courses," May 25). A more important factor is that many students who are college-bound are in reality not prepared for the language tasks (reading, writing, listening, note taking) that they face at the college level.

Both native