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Has anyone noticed how the vast majority of AP and Governor school students come from good income families or families with influence within the school system. Maybe its just me. Maybe it just depends on where your from. Did anyone else experience this in High School? For me, I was never able to pass the test to get into the "gifted and talented" classes in elementary school but was allowed in because I was the grandson of the school superintendent. I was able to excel in these classes and I graduated in the top 20 in my senior class out of 162 students. But what about those students who weren't in these classes but capable of doing the work like me but did not have the influence of a family member to get them in to these classes. Do yall think that it was unfair for me to be allowed into the gifted classes because of my grandfather when others like me get stuck in not so gifted ones?

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Matt Rowe

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Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:39 pm
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matt,

it seems to me that kids who were in the honors classes before were in the ap classes. not a lot of kids who were in the regular classes ever suddenly moved up into ap one year. but, how did they get there? was it money? or connections? i'm not sure. i think many students in the higher level classes did have more resources available to them to help them succeed in those classes, so it's a possibility that they did have more money. but, i also think that it has a lot to do with the choices they made in middle school and freshman year in high school. making the decision to take an honors english class freshman year meant that by junior and senior year, they probably will take ap or honors. i wonder in the regular classes, did teachers push students to take the higher level classes? i know when i was a sophmore in my english class, my teacher talked to each of us about ap- i wasn't advised to take that english class because she thought it would be too hard for me. so, i didn't, and i never did take an ap english class. i wish that i could have and tried it. i think teachers' expectations are too low for students- i really liked what dr. turner said- she said she treats her students the same in ap as in the regular history class. i honestly think that everyone should have an equal opportunity, but you're right matt, it does seem like the kids who come from a more comfortable home or started taking honors classes in early grades seem to be the ones in the ap classes junior and senior year.

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Laura Greene

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Sat Feb 04, 2006 3:10 pm
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As someone who took an equal share of CP (regular) classes, honors classes, and AP classes, honestly for the most part they weren't that different. I knew plenty of students who would just take AP or honors to get the extra credit hours, because they knew that in most cases they would be just as easy. Many of the teachers at my school taught both AP and CP, so in an effort not to have to make another lesson plan, they would simply modify their CP plan, which in most cases just meant more reading or worksheets. Plus, if you took AP and only did enough to get a "C", your GPA was still a 4.0. Where I went to school most of the students were from rich families, and my school scored very high on all the state tests, etc. However, I find it hard to believe that the children who are "well off" are actually more intelligent. It's just that they have more opportunities. I bet if teachers in schools in poverty areas pushed their students a little harder and spent more time with them, they could have just as much potential as those in white suburban areas. Personally, I hope I do end up teaching at a school in a difficult area, because I enjoy challenging myself. I like making a difference in people's lives. What kind of difference can you make in the lives of spoiled rich white children who have always had everything handed to them? They're already in positions to go far in life. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I just had to speak my mind. :P

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Nicole Stack

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Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:37 pm
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I was in AP classes in high school and I went to a very small, country school. Our school only offered about six AP courses and they weren't that much different from the honors or regualr courses. We had some very, very, low income students in our AP classes too because if we didn't include everyone, there wouldn't be enough students to enroll in the class. Almost every student in my US History AP class made a 4 or above and got college credit, regardless of their family income. So, in my situation, I would have to say that my school pretty mcuh had to accept everyone or else we wouldn't get the funding for the programs. It seemed to work out well for everyone too!

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Jordan Will


Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:09 am
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I think for the most part there is a coorelation between wealthy families and students who achieve more, but that is not the cause. Like we discussed in class during the activity where we talked about the different types of schools, the eiltiest school students often get a great deal of supplemental or pre-education at home.

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Danny Jugan

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Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:31 am
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I think Matt brings up a great point. Although he did not have the test scores to get in the upper classes, his connection got him there, then he succeeded. What if we put more middle intelligence students in upper classes with higher regulations and more resources, to see how they perform.

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Burl Greene


Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:49 am
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I think that Matts situation is unique & brings up another important question. He couldnt test into the advanced courses, but once he was placed into them, he succeeded? Is too much emphasis placed on testing?

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Samantha McCrary


Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:26 pm
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I think it was wrong for matt to be placed in these classes because of his grandfather. At the same time if this was me i would not be complaining about it because of the education i recieved.

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Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:48 pm
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