Mr Rappleye

Welcome

The Exam

Perspectives on Advanced Placement

Literature and Composition

Looking at the Exam: a frame of reference

• 3 hour exam in early May

• 1 hour: 50-60 Multiple Choice Questions:

• 2 hours: 3 essays– Poem

– Prose

– “Open” Question (analytical-expository essay)

Multiple Choice• 4 passages:

period/diversity/canon• 10-15 questions on

each passage• Close Reading• Poetry/prose/plays• Late 16th century to

present• 60 minutes• weighted :45 %

– reliability

• available

Essays

• 3 Essays

• Approximately 40 minutes each

• “Sight Reading”

• Poem

• Prose

• “Open question”– device or theme

– choose a work of merit

Scoring • Each Essay read and scored separately, by

different readers• Readers are trained for ONE question• One room reading Each Essay• Chief Faculty Consultant (1)• Question Leader (3)• “Table”: 6 readers and a Table Leader• 600+ readers from around the country• Experienced High School AP teachers• College teachers (rhetoric and confidence)

Reading• Holistic Scoring• Scoring Guide• 9 point scale• “Range Finders”• First half of first day• Regular checks after

that: after every break• Table leaders’ first

days checking scores

9 point Scale• First Draft• Top half or Bottom

half?• Scoring Guide: key

terms• Samples--range

finders• Internalizing Standard• Watch the “5” (Nine

Point Scale)• Use full range

Touchpoints

• You don’t know what the score means in terms of final grade

• AP:• 1:No Recommendation• 2:Possibly Qualified• 3: Qualified• 4:Well Qualified• 5:Extremely Well qualified

Cross referencing• Standards established by

the students’ performance; NOT before the essays are read

• Similarities in phrasing but…

• Reader’s results correlated to the MC

• Emphasis on accuracy

• Grading “Blind”

Getting to the Final Score

• Raw Score Multiple Choice: 45 % (67 pts)

• Raw Score of Essays: 55% (83 pts)

• FORMULA: 150 Point total

• The “lines” separating 1,2,3,4,and 5 are then determined by Chief Reader, looking at results, comparing to past in consultation with statisticians from ETS.

• What does the score mean?

FYI...

• 1999 AP Lit and Comp Exam

• 176,221 candidates• FIVE: 11.3%• FOUR: 21.5%• THREE: 35.5%• TWO: 26.4%• ONE: 5.4%

•25 Questions on Prose•Global mean: 13.8•30 Questions on Poetry

•Global mean: 18.5•Poetry Analysis: 4.6 •Prose Analysis: 4.6•Analytical-Expository Essay: 5.0

• of Tone• of Characterization • of Theme• Also, Cultural Literacy• Style (composition)•Timed Testing (practice and preparation)

Implications: Habitual focus on COMPLEXITY

To Whom? Various Perspectives on the Exam

• Colleges• Administration/Marketing• Students…do you know

why they are there? – Marketing?– College Credit?– Interest!

• Parents• ETS…• You!

My perspective...

• English teacher at MICDS 14 yrs– Evolution of an AP program

• Coach Cross Country and Track

• Reader for the AP Lit and Comp exam– try to get involved

• Have taught AP Lit and Comp as– year long junior level course– year long senior course– semester long course

The Test and YOUR Course

• No required Coverage• BUT!• Variety

– Genre

– Period

• Skills Test: Close Reading

• Freedom and Limitations

Limits and/as Opportunities

• What’s Your Unique Situation?

• Who’s Paying?• Texts...• Teaching to the Test:• It’s a good test, but...• Teaching Your

Passion

• What can you Control and what lies beyond your control?

• Enrollment• How many take tests?• How will You

Evaluate your success?

• How will OTHERS?

Sharing some perspectives

• This Course and how it got that way

• Items for Emphasis: Some Things that work

• Items to Mention: helpful hints

• Scoring the Exam: practice

• Questions