April 8, 2008
Advanced Placement Computer-Science Course Hangs On
The College Board is eliminating only one Advanced Placement computer-science course after the 2008-9 academic year, the U.S. Association for Computing Machinery is telling its membership. The group, made up of computer scientists in academe, government, and industry, says people may have been misled by a recent Washington Post article that stated that the College Board is doing away with AP Computer Science AB. That’s true, but the more popular AP Computer Science A will survive.
The computing group posted on its blog a recent e-mail message from the College Board saying that it has an “intensified commitment to AP Computer Science A.” The AB course is more comprehensive than the A course, and includes an analysis of algorithms, data structures, and data abstraction.
The computing group speculates that factors other than declining participation may have led to the College Board’s decision to eliminate AP Computer Science AB. “With federal policy focused on testing in reading and math,” the group states, “core courses receive many more resources and attention than electives.” —Andrea L. Foster
Posted on Tuesday April 8, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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I much prefer that federal policy focus “on testing in reading and math” than on testing in the “analysis of algorithms, data structures, … data abstraction,” and other more-advanced topics too-frequently offered in high school by retread math teachers, coaches, etc. Send me a kid who can read and who has at least some understanding of mathematics, and I’ll make sure he learns the important, college-level things — how to create really flashy video games, for example.
— S. Britchky Apr 8, 04:30 PM #
I’m no expert on this subject, but from what I understand, in the global economy, jobs that require these types of skills are best done in other countries with lower costs. This lowers prices for American consumers and allows American business to concentrate on their core competencies. So, it seems this is not really a problem at all. The high school computer science courses could be replaced by courses that are relevent to America, like Retail Management and Marketing.
— sam Apr 10, 10:39 AM #
Oh yes! Those goofy Engineering, Computer Science and Science jobs shouldn’t be in the U.S. Let’s concentrate on the service economy of the future! Nursing home aides! Walmart clerks! Waiters and Waitresses! Hair Stylists! That’s the ticket!
— Bob Apr 15, 06:08 PM #