AP Classes Fluctuate in Popularity Amongst Students
A decrease in next year's AP Physics enrollment is accompanied by a rising interest in AP Seminar.
By Ezekiel McClintock
A decrease in next year's AP Physics enrollment is accompanied by a rising interest in AP Seminar.
By Ezekiel McClintock
The amount of students enrolled in different AP classes has changed in recent years, and these fluctuating numbers have been enough to change the number of these classes that Pioneer will hold in the 2023-24 school year.
AP Physics will not be offered next year due to not enough students signing up for the class. AP Seminar, meanwhile, nearly doubled its enrollment for next year. There will be two classes of 20 students apiece, as opposed to this year's single class of 24 students.
English teacher Ryan Alpers, who has taught AP Seminar for the last two years and will teach both classes next year, is excited about the newfound interest in the class and believes that students will benefit greatly not just from the actual class material, but also the life lessons it teaches.
"Taking AP Seminar as a sophomore, even as a junior or a senior kind of gives you a different way of looking at the world," said Alpers. "I think that students are really receptive to that, being able to look at conflicts and problems from a viewpoint or perspective that is gonna help solve that problem."
Alpers has also received encouraging feedback about the class and his teaching methods. Sophia Stumpf, 11, who took AP Seminar this year, had an undeniably positive experience and feels that the class has made her much more open to team projects and sharing her ideas with new people.
"Taking AP Seminar will build both social and academic skills, because you get to work on group projects with fellow students and you end up getting pretty close with your classmates," said Stumpf.
On the other hand, AP Physics has had a decrease in students that have signed up for next year. AP Physics teacher Colleen McDonough is particularly worried that the cancellation of the class might impact the future plans of students in subject areas such as computer science, engineering or pre-med where basic physics knowledge is vital.
"In the past (the class has) been supported regardless of that," said McDonough. "I was really crushed and am concerned for my students that wanted to take it and are not being given the opportunity."
Some students in the class believe AP Physics is a very difficult class to get a good grade in, which is a deterrent as most students place high priority on keeping up their grades. Even current students found it difficult to maintain a grade that they were satisfied with.
"Getting a high grade in this class is a lot harder than in the other ones because you are graded for your conceptual understanding, and applying that knowledge to new kinds of problems you have never seen," said AP Physics student John Monge, 11.
Although the class may be challenging, there are some things that are more important than grades. AP Physics student and teacher's assistant Bora Bozkurt, 12, believes that the assistance the class material will provide for his college major is much more valuable than any letter grade.
"I chose to take AP Physics because I wanted to challenge myself in my last year of high school in order to build good habits before I head to college," said Bozkurt. "Physics is also a large part of engineering which is what I am planning to pursue in college."
Interest in AP Physics has steadily declined since the implementation of a new science track at Pioneer in 2013 which has students take physics freshman year, chemistry as a sophomore and biology as a junior. During previous years, physics was taught during the junior year, and instead of just one small AP Physics class, there were two or three.
"Each of those approaches has its merits but unfortunately, it does affect how many students will sign up for AP Physics," said McDonough.
Alpers, meanwhile, encourages students to try new classes as it'll help them out on their high school journey. AP Physics and Seminar aren't the only classes that provide important knowledge - all AP classes at Pioneer have something good to offer.
"I just think that if a student is interested in the course they should sign up and take it, that's what high school is all about - figuring things out and challenging yourself," said Alpers.
AP Physics will not be offered next year due to not enough students signing up for the class. AP Seminar, meanwhile, nearly doubled its enrollment for next year. There will be two classes of 20 students apiece, as opposed to this year's single class of 24 students.
English teacher Ryan Alpers, who has taught AP Seminar for the last two years and will teach both classes next year, is excited about the newfound interest in the class and believes that students will benefit greatly not just from the actual class material, but also the life lessons it teaches.
"Taking AP Seminar as a sophomore, even as a junior or a senior kind of gives you a different way of looking at the world," said Alpers. "I think that students are really receptive to that, being able to look at conflicts and problems from a viewpoint or perspective that is gonna help solve that problem."
Alpers has also received encouraging feedback about the class and his teaching methods. Sophia Stumpf, 11, who took AP Seminar this year, had an undeniably positive experience and feels that the class has made her much more open to team projects and sharing her ideas with new people.
"Taking AP Seminar will build both social and academic skills, because you get to work on group projects with fellow students and you end up getting pretty close with your classmates," said Stumpf.
On the other hand, AP Physics has had a decrease in students that have signed up for next year. AP Physics teacher Colleen McDonough is particularly worried that the cancellation of the class might impact the future plans of students in subject areas such as computer science, engineering or pre-med where basic physics knowledge is vital.
"In the past (the class has) been supported regardless of that," said McDonough. "I was really crushed and am concerned for my students that wanted to take it and are not being given the opportunity."
Some students in the class believe AP Physics is a very difficult class to get a good grade in, which is a deterrent as most students place high priority on keeping up their grades. Even current students found it difficult to maintain a grade that they were satisfied with.
"Getting a high grade in this class is a lot harder than in the other ones because you are graded for your conceptual understanding, and applying that knowledge to new kinds of problems you have never seen," said AP Physics student John Monge, 11.
Although the class may be challenging, there are some things that are more important than grades. AP Physics student and teacher's assistant Bora Bozkurt, 12, believes that the assistance the class material will provide for his college major is much more valuable than any letter grade.
"I chose to take AP Physics because I wanted to challenge myself in my last year of high school in order to build good habits before I head to college," said Bozkurt. "Physics is also a large part of engineering which is what I am planning to pursue in college."
Interest in AP Physics has steadily declined since the implementation of a new science track at Pioneer in 2013 which has students take physics freshman year, chemistry as a sophomore and biology as a junior. During previous years, physics was taught during the junior year, and instead of just one small AP Physics class, there were two or three.
"Each of those approaches has its merits but unfortunately, it does affect how many students will sign up for AP Physics," said McDonough.
Alpers, meanwhile, encourages students to try new classes as it'll help them out on their high school journey. AP Physics and Seminar aren't the only classes that provide important knowledge - all AP classes at Pioneer have something good to offer.
"I just think that if a student is interested in the course they should sign up and take it, that's what high school is all about - figuring things out and challenging yourself," said Alpers.