6-15-13 = Reports from others on the essays (it seems that the unofficial mean score is still below a 3 out of 9):
""On the CCOT, the continuing problem along with the thesis seems to be the World Historical Context and the analysis. Most of the time the answers are to general and vague. Students need to be more specific and deal with the terms of the question. We are just starting out but I will have more for you on the pluses and minuses of all three essays during the week."
"Let me say again, THESIS, THESIS, THESIS! I have seen any number of folders (We get the essays in folders with 25 pink booklets) where one or two students out of 25 have been given credit for a thesis. The idea was to offer a specific political change and then connect that to a cultural change or continuity. We are getting large amounts of evidence, sometimes15-20 pieces per essay, but the students are not connecting the political change to the culture change or continuity.
The other two things that are beginning to appear are problems with time sense and with geography. Caesar shows up often and Alexander the Great even more. Both of them are way to early. Many of the students have good ideas but those ideas are outside the time frame. The other problem is geography. What do Cuba, Australia, Tahiti, and Japan have in common? They are NOT in the Mediterranean! Or even near the region. (Or so I have been told.)
Thesis writing continues to be a major problem for all three questions."
C&C
"On the C&C the same problem as the other two-Thesis!!!!!!!
Also the students are still having problems with the direct comparison and analysis. They are also confusing the 18th and 19th centuries with the 1900s and the 2000s!!!!
They are also doing a good job with the Meji, Russia, and China. They are having trouble with the Ottomans."
DBQ
"There were some initial worries about the students being able to handle the documents in the DBQ but they are doing OK although their response is a bit shallow.
They are doing well on document use and grouping.
The problems are:
They are not connecting the two parts of the question.
The missing document still presents a problem.
And, very few students are dong the POV correctly."
6-12-13 - Report from the College Board Forum
Changes in APUSH will go into effect Fall 2014 with the 2015 test being the first one to change. Then AP Euro the following year and APWH possibly the year after. So all AP histories will have the same skills, same key concepts, same themes and same exam format:
Also data from the recent test in response to complaints from students that this year's test had more reading passages:
Type of stimuli Number of Passages based on that type of Stimuli on Each Exam
Practice Exam 2012 Exam 2013 Exam 2013 International Exam
1 Reading Passage 10 11 10 12
2 Reading Passages 1 1 4 1
Images 1 4 5 7
Chart or Graph 3 1 2 0
Maps 5 3 4 4
Total Reading Passages 11 12 14 13
Total Stimuli Questions 20 20 25 24
Year of Exam 2011 2012 2013
Mean Score on MC Portion of Test 42.37% 43.37% 41.78%
% Completing Multiple Choice Section 92.7% 88.8% 83.4%
% of Students who Completed 75% of MC Section 98.9% 98.% 96.6%
# of Questions read by 80% of Examinees 70 70 70
6-9-13 = Still on EST. So there are about 1010 readers arriving today, only 93 of them are Acorns (or Newbies for those not in the know). We have 218,000 operational essays to read, not sure about the
Alternate, so only about 5% increase from last year. This year we also have an International Exam for the first time and the Exceptional exam which is the alternate's alternate.
I'm on the DBQ. Kids are having a hard time with the notion of addressing the prompt and actually addressing the connection between regional issue and European struggles for global power in the mid 18th C.
The thesis only needs them to address one connection between global struggle for power and regional issues.
Understanding point is the same as usual and they can show understanding by grouping it with regard to regional issues or European struggles for global power.
Evidence point is the same but again only needs regional issues or European struggles for global power
Only need two POVs
Need three Groupings and again only about regional issues or European struggles for global power
Only need 1 Add Doc and again regional issues or European struggles for global power
I'm was dealing with the altitude, dryness and migraines yesterday, so hopefully today will be better.
6-7-13 = Leaving to Utah this morning!!