The College Board Advanced Placement™ Computer Science-A Summer Institute: Mr. John Meinzen

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Morning Session I : Assessing Student Progress & Understanding [AP Classrom & Solve FR Question]

Key Understanding:

  • Writing solutions to free response questions and scoring solutions without official rubrics sets individual expectations for the AP Exam.

 

Participant Activity - Practice writing Solutions and Scoring without a rubric

AP Classroom : Online-based approach

  1. Login to AP Classroom : Question Bank : Questions : Search for and Build a Quiz (only 1 FRQ) that includes the following Filters :

    • Question Type : FRQ: 4 2-D Array

    • Assessment Purpose and Source : Summative>AP Exam : Light Board [note: this question appeared in the 2019 Operational Exam]

  2. Write your own solution to this problem (on paper)

  3. Swap solutions with another participant.

  4. Find the Canonical Solution(s) to the Light Board FRQ [find on APCentral:Exam or use the unofficial Free Response solutions courtesy Maria and Gary Litvin at SkyLit publishing]

  5. Score yourself and/or partner's solutions using the range 0 (no solution) to 9 (complete and correct).

  6. Share & discuss the results.

 

Traditional : Paper-based Approach

  1. Using the 2015 Released Exam write your solution to Question #4. [Alternatively, use Question #4 from the Practice Exam effective Fall 2014]

  2. Swap solutions with another participant.

  3. Read the Canonical Solution(s) to Question #4. [Alternatively, read the Canonical Solution to Question #4 from Practice Exam effective Fall 2014]

  4. Score yourself and/or partner's solutions using the range 0 (no solution) to 9 (complete and correct).

  5. Share & discuss the results.

Morning Session II : Assessing Student Progress & Understanding [AP Classroom & Score FR Solution]

Key Understanding:

  • Scoring solutions with official Scoring Guidelines (rubrics) sets standardized expectations for the AP Exam.

 

Participant Activity - Practice "Reading" student solutions using a rubric

AP Classroom : Online-based approach (continuation of Day 4 : Morning Session I : Activity)

  1. Login to AP Classroom : Question Bank : Questions : Search for and Build a Quiz (only 1 FRQ) that includes the following Filters :

    • Question Type : FRQ: 4 2-D Array

    • Assessment Purpose and Source : Summative>AP Exam : Light Board [note: this question appeared in the 2019 Operational Exam]

  2. Read the Scoring Guideline to Light Board

  3. Re-score your and/or your partner's solutions in light of the Scoring Guideline.

  4. Share & discuss the results with your partner and add to the Shared folder the pros and cons of AP Classroom verus AP Central's information

  5. Compare and discuss your scoring with the Scoring Commentary on APCentral:Exam

  6. Find another AP Classroom Operational Exam FRQ to assign to your students

 

Traditional : Paper-based Approach

  1. Read the Scoring Guideline to Question #4. [Alternatively, read the Scoring Guideline to Question #4 from Practice Exam in Workshop Handbook, page 188]

  2. Re-score your and/or your partner's solutions in light of the Scoring Guideline.

  3. Share & discuss the results and changes, if any.

  4. Read and Score the five Sample Student responses, labeled 4A...4E. [Note: there are no Sample Student responses for the Practice Exam in Workshop Handbook]

  5. Share & discuss the results with your partner.

  6. Compare and discuss your scoring with the Scoring Commentary.

 

NOTE: The June 2017 AP CSA Reading introduced a new format for each Free Response Question including:

  1. Canonical Solution(s)

  2. Scoring Guidelines (formerly rubric)

  3. Scoring Notes (previously unpublished)

  4. General Scoring Guidlines

  5. Supplemental Resources (may be unpublished)

  6. Sample Student Responses

Afternoon Session I : Teaching the Course [Audit, Digital Activation & AP Classroom support]

Key Understanding:

  • The curricular requirements ensures that all AP course instructors teach a college-level course.

  • At the start of the year, teachers and students will complete a short digital activation process that will allow them immediate access to classroom resources.

 

Audit & Authorization : new AP CSA teacher's Syllabus: Definitions and Insights

  • Syllabus: The syllabus is a course-long plan that includes explicit evidence that each AP curricular requirement is addressed in the course. It is also a document that the teacher submits to the College Board as part of the Audit Process to receive course Authorization

    Syllabus : 7 Curricular Requirements

    Identify evidence that a participant's syllabus meets the 7 Curricular Requirements that address the Topic Outline in the official Course Description

     

    1. design & implement computer-based solutions to problems
    2. use & implement commonly used algorithms and data structures
    3. select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve problems
    4. code fluently in object-oriented paradigm using the programming language Java
    5. use elements of the standard Java library from the AP Java subset in Appendix A of the official Course Description
    6. includes a structured lab component comprised of a minimum of 20 hours of hands-on lab experiences
    7. recognize the ethical and social implications of computer use

    Syllabus Development Guide - detailed checklist

  • Audit Process: A process whereby the College Board -

    1. receives an electronic copy of the syllabus from the teacher (requires teacher to have a College Board login)

    2. receives an electronically submitted Audit Form from a school administrator (AP Coordinator) which requires AP Coordinator to have a College Board login) and then

    3. has an experienced College Professor (or Reviewer) check the teacher's submitted syllabus to ensure that their syllabus addresses all of the curricular requirements listed in the official Course Description.

    4. The audit is an annual process.

    5. However, after the first year's Approval, the school's AP Coordinator can usually renew the Course Authorization without additional submissions from the teacher.

  • Course Audit Form: This form lists all curricular and resource requirements of the AP course. Through AP Course Audit accounts,the form is completed by the teacher, submitted by the teacher to the school administrator ("AP Coordinator")for approval, and finalized by the school/district Course Audit Administrator to be submitted to the College Board.

  • Authorization: A course with a finalized and submitted Course Audit Form and an approved syllabus is authorized to use the “AP™” designation on student transcripts.

  • Retention of Authorization: a streamlined Audit process for a school's Course Audit Administrator to use when they have received prior Authorization for an AP course. For AP CSA this requires an Attestation that the teacher will include 20 hours of lab time in their course.

  • Approval: Permission given by the school's Administrator (AP Coordinator) that assures to the College Board (via the Audit Form) that the school's AP course is being taught accurately.

  • Insight #1: You may :

  • Insight #2: Prior to submitting your syllabus for auditing to the College Board website, a general self-evaluation checklist is on the audit website http://www.collegeboard.com/html/apcourseaudit

  • Insight #3: If you already have an approved syllabus then you may only need a "Retention of Authorization" which requires an Attestation to a minimum of 20 hours of Lab time

Digital Activation after Authorization : teacher/students register for AP Exam and access AP Classroom.

 

Once the teacher and school's AP Coordinator receive the Course Authorization, the following resources should be available to the teacher at myAP.collegeboard.org

 

AP Classroom - requires online digital activation

  • Unit Guides (in CED) - optional. Used to "organize and sequence" the course.

  • Personal Progress Checks - formative AP questions for student feedback optionally assigned by teacher [if not assigned by teacher]

  • Progress Dashboard - optional. Used by teacher to review individual student and class progress to identify student struggles with content and skills over time.

  • AP Question Bank - optional. Library of real AP Exam questions indexed and referenced to Unit Guides for teachers to create customized tests (online or paper)

 

Instructional Planning (i.e. your AP Exam Student Scores) Reports (July following Exams) - Instructional Planning Reports (IPR) for teachers to assess student content and skills on AP Exams.

Timeline & Key Dates

Dates

AP Teachers

AP Students

AP Coordinators

Notes
before school year Sign into College Board
Set up class sections
Generate "join codes"
  Sign into College Board
Enter Access Code provided by Principal
Complete initial setup
AP Classroom resources available 1Aug
First week of classes Share "join code" and have students join class online
Setup classes
Create College Board Login Account;
Enter "join code" provided by teacher;
join AP class(es) online

Complete participation form;
setup classes

 
Oct 4 use optional AP Classroom
resources throughout year as desired
Sign up for AP Exam (preferred date) Order AP Exams (preferred date) Exam Fee $94
Nov 15   Sign up for AP Exam (final date) Order AP Exams (final date) $40 late fee
Jan 31 for new AP Teachers: traditional deadline to submit AP Audit form      
Mar     Finalize AP Exam order

Spring semester-only courses have no late fee until March 13

Apr     Receive AP ID labels  
May   Take AP Exams Administer AP Exams  
June     Pay Invoice $40 fee for unused/cancelled Exam
July

Access Scores via IPR

Access Scores    

 

Misconceptions

  • Recommendation : submit your initial course audit materials (Audit form and Syllabus) by September 1st...you will receive faster feedback.

  •  

  • John has done 6 course audits:

    • AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science-A, AP Computer Science-Principles, AP Statistics and one more

    • 2 have been rejected with comments... that were quickly fixed

    • two have been updated...took all of 5 minutes

    • one is for a course that doesn't exist anymore and some have been "pended" for over a year...feel free to ask why.

Afternoon Session II : Teaching the Course [Course Plan]

Key Understanding:

  • Creating overall course and lesson plans match curricular requirements with classroom resources.

 

Participant Activity

  • Generate To-Do List for next school year.

  • Generate Sample Syllabus and/or Lesson Plans for the next school year.

  • Work on group syllabus [for those using a common textbook/resources].