The College Board recently made changes to the Advanced Placement (AP) tests that have resulted in more student test-takers receiving higher scores, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The AP tests’ scoring changes involve replacing a panel of experts with a large-scale data analysis to determine skills students learned throughout the courses, the WSJ reported. Educators and test-prep companies are skeptical of the changes, alleging it is another form of grade inflation and a way to increase College Board’s business.
“It is hard to argue with the premise of AP, that students who are talented and academically accomplished can get a head start on college,” Jon Boeckenstedt, Oregon State University’s vice provost of enrollment, told the WSJ. “But I think it’s a business move.”
The AP tests score students on a one-to-five scale, with three being the lowest possible…
