AP History
Redesign Project
Overview and Status
July 14, 2007
AP Annual Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada
Allison Clark
Project Director
AP History Redesign
AP History Redesign
Agenda
• Project Background
• Overview of Redesign Process
• Current Status
• Next Steps
• Question and Answer
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AP Redesign
Why Redesign?
A National Research Council Report (2002) identified several
opportunities to improve math and science education in the U.S. These
recommendations are equally applicable to all AP course subjects.
• Courses should emphasize deep understanding rather than comprehensive coverage.
• Programs should reflect current understanding of learning in the discipline.
• Programs should reflect current research directions within the discipline.
• Courses should include a deep emphasis on inquiry and reasoning.
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The National Research Council
Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of
Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools
2002
AP Redesign
Mission
The redesign project will produce a more inclusive and more engaging
program of study for each discipline. To achieve this, the commissions
have identified:
• A coherent and conceptual framework for the course appropriate to the field of history
• Key historical themes for each course that are to be studied in depth
• The essential historical thinking skills that are to be supported by instruction and measured
on the exams
• Teaching practices that are most successful at developing understanding
• Potential ways to incorporate more fully the study of historical scholarship into the course
This information will be used to create an overall course experience to:
• Engage students in the college-level knowledge, skills, and abilities within the discipline
• Support teachers with professional development opportunities and tools
• Ensure the receipt of college credit for qualifying student exam performance
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AP Redesign
How will we get there*?
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
PROCESS DESIGN:
Redesign process is based
on learning methodology,
potential risks, and discipline
expertise.
ESTABLISH FOUNDATION:
Disciplinary experts identify
the essential reasoning and
concepts.
COURSE/EXAM MODEL
Compile the framework for the
course/exam in the form of
claims and evidence.
CURRICULUM DESIGN
ASSESSMENT DESIGN
INVOLVE AP AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY:
Review approach with and solicit feedback from instructors
(secondary and postsecondary).
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Provide AP teachers with the resources and details needed
to teach the redesigned courses.
OPERATIONS:
Deliver the redesigned course and exam
to students, and incorporate into
ongoing operational processes.
6 * Example from Cohort 1
AP History Redesign
Process Design
PROCESS DESIGN:
Redesign process is based
on learning methodology,
potential risks, and discipline
expertise.
The process of AP history redesign has been informed by:
• A College Curriculum Study conducted to identify opportunities to improve AP
by incorporating some of the best examples of successful college curriculum
• National and select state standards
• Established learning science approaches to curriculum and assessment
design
• Learning and Understanding (National Research Council, 2002)
• Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005)
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AP History Redesign
How will we get there?
PROCESS DESIGN:
Redesign process is based
on learning methodology,
potential risks, and discipline
expertise.
• Discipline-specific expertise is provided by Redesign Commissions
whose membership includes secondary and postsecondary educators and
practicing scientists:
-- AP European History Redesign Commission
-- AP U.S. History Redesign Commission
-- AP World History Redesign Commission
• The role of the AP staff is to develop resources to support and facilitate the
work of these teams.
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AP History Redesign
How will we get there?
PROCESS DESIGN:
Redesign process is based
on learning methodology,
potential risks, and discipline
expertise.
Redesign Commissions were assembled to provide subject matter
expertise and direction for the redesign.
• Professional organizations (including the AHA, OAH, WHA, and NCHE)
and College Board members identified by consensus the commission
members.
• Each commission is composed of leaders in higher and secondary
education with subject-specific expertise.
• The commission provides input and guidance on:
• Essential course content
• Historical thinking skills
• Instructional practices
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AP Redesign
Establish Foundation
ESTABLISH FOUNDATION:
Disciplinary experts identify
the essential reasoning and
concepts.
Each commission was charged to focus the redesigned AP course
on the following goals:
• Increase depth of understanding by creating a coherent conceptual framework for
the course that will allow for greater flexibility in teaching the course
• Identify essential historical knowledge for each history course
• Develop student capacity to successfully learn and employ critical historical thinking
skills
• Establish coherence within and across the three history subjects by organizing
curriculum, instruction, and assessment using a similar set of historical thinking
skills
• Draw upon current research and theory on learning, instruction, and assessment
• Create learning programs accessible to students from a broad range of
backgrounds
• Prepare students for success in subsequent college-level courses within history
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AP Redesign
Redesigned Course/Exam Model--History
Analysis
Course Content
Knowledge
Chronological
Periodization
(6 for WH, 4 for EH, 8 for USH)
Comparison
Themes
(5 for WH and EH, 8 for USH)
Historical Thinking
Skills
Big Ideas (WH)
Narratives (EH)
Critical Questions (USH)
Chronological
Reasoning
Contextualization
Interpretation
Argumentation
Synthesis
Integration of Content Knowledge and Skills:
Foundation of Redesigned History Course and Exam
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AP Redesign
Redesigned Course/Exam Model
COURSE/EXAM MODEL
Compile the framework for the
course/exam in the form of
claims and evidence.
CURRICULUM DESIGN
ASSESSMENT DESIGN
The new AP courses and exams will be based on well-defined learning
objectives and descriptions of student work that achieves these
objectives.
Assessment Design
• The assessment model will support deep learning by emphasizing historical reasoning.
• Each of the scores within the 5-4-3-2-1 scoring model will be tied to clear and specific
standards for student achievement.
Curriculum Design
• Course Descriptions will clearly define the scope of the learning objectives.
• Embedded formative assessments will be made available to support progress toward
success on the AP Exam.
• Curricular resources that are clearly connected to the learning objectives will be provided
to support AP students and teachers.
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AP Redesign
Involve AP & Professional Communities
INVOLVE PROFESSIONAL AND AP COMUNITY:
Review approach with and solicit feedback from instructors
(secondary and post-secondary).
Guiding principles of the redesign process are to:
• Rely upon the expertise of the leading educators and scholars from both
higher and secondary education
• Solicit feedback and input from those most involved with the courses and
exams
In spring 2008, once a draft course/exam model is available:
• Review and comment by professional communities
• Solicit input from a representative sample of AP teachers
• Involve and consult with higher education communities
• Make presentations at professional conferences
• Provide redesign updates on AP Central
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AP Redesign
Professional Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Provide AP teachers with the tools and details needed to teach
the redesigned courses.
The AP Program recognizes that there is an opportunity to provide
better tools and development opportunities to the professionals
who teach AP courses. The Professional Development program will
identify and provide these resources, such as:
• Complete practice exams for each redesigned course before the launch of
all redesigned exams
• An appropriate sustained professional development experience for AP
teachers, to be launched two full years before the launch of the redesigned
course
• Teacher tools, including curriculum modules, formative assessments, and
lesson plans, including sharing tools used by existing AP teachers
• Student tools (print and Web-based) that teachers can integrate into their
classrooms
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AP Redesign
Operations
OPERATIONS:
Deliver the redesigned course and exam
to students, and incorporate into
ongoing operational processes.
The current approach will leverage the existing process that is
followed annually to deliver the AP Exams. The team will explore
options to improve the operational processes.
The implementation of these operational changes are in the early
design stages:
• The College Board will develop a more flexible administration schedule in
response to teacher feedback.
• Exams will reflect the specific learning objectives that have been identified.
• Teachers will no longer need to infer learning objectives from Released
Exams.
• Exam score reports will provide descriptions of student performance with
regard to the learning objectives measured by the exam.
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AP Redesign
What does this mean for me?
There are still many details to be worked out for the redesign. At
this point, the following impacts are known:
• The amount of change differs by exam. Subject-specific details will be provided as
available.
• The AP redesign will include the development and distribution of classroom resources
for teachers and students.
• Redesigned courses will require a new AP Course Audit. The College Board will work
with impacted teachers to provide examples and professional development
opportunities.
• Through the AP Course Audit network and AP Central, the project will continue to
provide purposeful, direct, and regular updates on any significant changes planned as
part of the course redesign.
• The AP redesign approach provides increased opportunity to involve higher education
faculty with the goal of ensuring ever-increasing credit policies across institutions.
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AP Redesign
What does this mean for me?
• AP instructors and students will have a well-defined set of learning
objectives that support deeper understanding.
• The AP Exams will be congruent with these learning objectives.
• AP instructors will have tools and professional development opportunities
that support learning and success on the AP Exam.
• The postsecondary community and professional societies will have a better
understanding of, and confidence in, the value of AP courses.
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AP Redesign
What does this mean for me?
We hope you can help us answer this question and help us learn more about
the kind of professional development experiences and resources that will be
most helpful to you.
Agenda for remainder of session:
• Breakout groups by subject (30 minutes)
• World History: Led by Alan Karras, University of California: Berkeley; World
History Redesign Commission co-chair; World History Development Committee
chair
• European History: Led by Michael Galgano, James Madison University;
European History Redesign Commission co-chair; European History
Development Committee chair
• U.S. History: Led by Lawrence Charap, College Board AP Program, and
Judson Odell, College Board Test Development
• Group discussion (20 minutes)
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AP Redesign
What does this mean for me?
Questions for breakout groups to consider:
• How can AP best support teaching that integrates the historical
thinking skills with the key course concepts (big ideas, narratives,
critical questions)?
• What kind of professional development experiences will best serve
your needs?
• What kind of resources for teachers and students will be most
useful?
• How can we ensure that colleges understand and recognize the
value of student achievement on the redesigned AP course and
exam?
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