Saturday, August 11, 2007

AP Physics: a Rio rollercoaster


Rio Americano's 2007 AP results are in and 22 of our 24 Physics B examinees passed! Seven of them with flying colors. Some aspect of congenital OCD (from my Hoogerhyde ancestry) forces me to continue my longitudinal study of Rio's AP scores. Among the several exams I've kept track of over the years, Physic B creates the most stochastic pattern (!). Many other exams at Rio show nice increases over the years, Bumpy to be sure, but general increases in examinees over the years. The Physics B "trendline" is a mess. The pass rate isn't bad, though.


As always, nice passing rates are a testament to the hard work our students put in to prepare for the exam. I give my students the weights, but they have to lift them.

The bumpy ride indicates a certain fragility to the enrollment in AP Physics B at Rio, and the fact that students enrolled in the course are not required to take the exam. (Many schools require students in AP courses to take the exam.) The bumps will continue: the upcoming year's enrollment is as low as I remember it ever being (possibly under 15). And if past trends hold up, enrollment for 2009 will rebound. Please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

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