165 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2016
    1. Varying College Policies

      This paragraph discusses how colleges accept AP scores. Colleges differ on what scores to accept most of them being 4 or higher. This puts added pressure on students to find out what score they need for a certain college and added pressure to do better. I can use this paragraph to emphasize that receiving a passing score doesn't guarantee college credit.

    2. Workload and Stress

      This paragraph discusses the amount of work that an AP courses brings and the stress that can come with it if students aren't prepared. I can use this paragraph to demonstrate that students need to be aware of what they can handle in order to avoid being stressed whether that be taking less AP courses or none at all.

    3. College Credit

      This paragraph talks about the overall incentive to take AP courses to earn college credit. Students have the mindset that if they take these courses they can earn credit and save money later on. I can use this paragraph to discuss that college credit is the major if not only reason for taking an AP course.

    4. College Preparation

      This paragraph discusses how AP courses are geared in preparing students for the workload of college as well as making them look desirable over regular classes. I can use this paragraph to demonstrate that students feel pressure to take AP courses to "prepare" for college and achieve a status of great work ethic.

    1. Making the Decision

      The paragraph discusses that it is up to the student to decide whether they are able to handle the course and whether they're willing to go through with it.

    2. Cons of AP Courses

      The paragraph discusses what may happen to students that aren't capable of dealing with the stress AP courses amount.

    3. Pros of AP Courses

      The paragraph discusses the incentives and benefits of taking part in AP courses.

    1. AP courses are not the only route for high school students seeking rigorous college training, consultant Goodman notes. For the Bartels's daughter, for instance, enrolling in dual credit courses at a local community college while in high school also allowed her to learn in a college-like setting. 

      AP courses aren't the only rigorous course that students can take to earn credit or get the college feel. I can use this quote to show how students don't need the stress of an AP course to learn the exam instead that dual credit can provide college credit by just passing the class like it should be.

    2. "The right number's going to be different for every student," Goodman notes. "If you find that you have to work past midnight to keep up with your load of AP courses, you probably have piled on too many."

      Every student has limits and they need to know their limits. Students that can't handle the course fall behind, struggle, or just give up. I can use this quote to demonstrate that not many students know how to limit themselves and how schools don't care if students limit themselves since they push students to take as many as they can.

    3. "Kids [who take AP courses] usually are able to think outside the box; they're better prepared; they have stronger study skills; and the bar is held up for them at a level where they reach that bar themselves. They already know, 'This is what my teacher is going to expect of me—or this is what I expect of myself,'" she says. 

      AP students know what to expect and are willing to struggle to get the work done. I can use this quote to demonstrate how students are aware of the rigor of the course but want to succeed for the own benefit ranging from earning college credit or just a high level course in high school.

    4. The rigorous courses not only introduce students to college-level academics, but also offer an opportunity to amass credits before high school graduation—ostensibly saving money on college in the long run.

      AP courses allow for students to experience the workload of a college course along with potentially earning credit in high school. I can use this quote to demonstrate that the expectation of an AP course is to provide the guide lines of how college will feel along with the incentive to do well and take more classes to earn the college credit.

    1. "It can't really hurt you, as long as you're willing to do the work. Getting college credit from high school classes is invaluable, too."

      Their isn't really any harm in taking an AP course since it's "similar" to a college course and you can earn college credit without paying a tremendous fee. I can use this quote to demonstrate that taking an AP courses is economically beneficial but may not be personally beneficial if students can't handle the work and stress out.

    2. AP classes are free, but it costs $84 to take an exam.

      Compared to college courses where they range from hundred to thousands of dollars AP courses look like a wonderful economic decision. I can use this quote to demonstrate how students who would struggle to pay for college amass AP courses in order to pass and earn credit to avoid taking the class in college for way more money.

    3. Depending on how students score and what college they plan to attend, they can earn academic credit or "test out" of a college class. It can mean fewer assignments to juggle come college time and possibly even some financial savings.

      If students score well on the exam the the course would be worth while since they no longer have to take the course in college. I can use this quote to demonstrate that passing an AP course will benefit students financially and academically since they would be able to focus on other courses in college with a decreased workload.

    4. It's also possible to take an AP test without taking the class. If students are home-schooled or if their school doesn't offer a particular AP class, they can still arrange to take an exam. They still earn credit if they get a good score on the exam.

      Students may self study and partake in an AP exam to earn their college credit. This quote demonstrates that you don't need to be in the class to learn but focus on the key points for the EXAM to pass. I can use this quote to demonstrate AP courses are meant for the exam not college preparation.

    5. AP classes are designed to prepare high school students for the rigors of college-level work.

      AP courses are deemed as college preparation and that is their specific application. I can use this quote as an example that people believe that the class is meant for college preparation instead of the AP exam.

    1. We don't expect students to take every AP or IB course available. We do expect students to have made thoughtful choices that exemplify full preparation for college. Rigorous course work without performance in that course work is not what we're after and will not be fruitful."

      Students should be mindful of whats expected of them rather than forcing themselves to take classes they expect would look exceptional. I can use this quote as an example that students taking the course without having the heart behind taking it will not benefit from the course.

    2. many students feel one of the major flaws in the AP system is that every class is geared toward a standardized test. The result is that comprehensive learning is sacrificed for the sake of test preparation, with teachers spending the most time on topics likely to appear on the AP exam.

      AP courses are geared towards the AP exam, basically, teachers are teaching the content of what would be on the exam. Therefore AP courses are more test preparation than an actual learning environment. I can use this quote to demonstrate how AP courses are more geared towards earning college credit rather than preparing students for college courses.

    3. Some highly selective colleges and universities want to see at least two or three AP courses on a student's transcript per year, while other institutions say two or three for an entire high school career may be fine. In context, many teens are feeling the pressure to take AP courses. For Elk Grove junior Jena Bartodziej, the pressure to take AP classes isn't just coming from the desire to get into college, but from her peers as well.

      Students are pressure to take AP courses because of the desirability it brings from colleges and from peers also taking part in AP. Every college is selective in the standards of the amount of courses to take. I can use this quote to demonstrate that the variety of colleges and their selectivity should urge students to take the course they believe they can handle. ultimately the students decision on whether they want to take certain classes.

    4. According to the report, which analyzed exam data from 2001- 2011, 109 percent more students are leaving high school having taken an AP exam than in 2001, and nearly 95 percent more students are scoring a 3 or higher on the exams than in 2001. In Illinois, 18.5 percent of graduating seniors at public high schools scored a 3 or higher on their AP exams in 2011--an increase of 7.5 percent over 2001--and just slightly above the national average of 18.1 percent.

      An increase in the amount of students taking AP courses with an increase in passing scores. I can use this quote to demonstrate that increasing participation is also increasing passing scores. This is essential for furthering education since more students are taking rigorous course work and earning college credit.

    5. With the cutthroat competitiveness of college admissions these days, teens are pulling out all the stops, including taking excessive amounts of Advanced Placement (AP) classes to ensure their acceptance to dream schools.

      The competitive market to get into college advocates students to take more rigorous classes such as AP classes. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses show colleges that students are well prepared and more desirable the more AP courses they take.

    1. the high number of students taking on AP courses and excelling in the intense workload is nothing short of impressive.

      Students that are taking on the coursework and passing the exam show exemplary work ethic and motivation. I can use this quote to demonstrate the dedication it takes excel in an AP course.

    2. With the advanced courses, pupils are not only challenged to take on difficult curriculum, but also must prove they have actually learned the material with multiple-choice and essay tests on the topic each spring semester.

      Students must learn and apply the material they learn in both multiple choice and free response type questions. I can use this quote to demonstrate that in AP courses students must be able to accurately display the knowledge they learn to pass the exam.

    3. These classes are not the typical high school experience, as the courses are created by the College Board and teachers leading each class must be trained and certified by the board to administer the subject.

      AP courses are obviously a different and more advanced course. As a result, teachers need to be trained and certified. Students should also be trained to take AP courses such as taking regular chemistry before AP chemistry or english 1 and 2 then AP english. I can use this quote to demonstrate that no only do students need to be well prepared for AP courses teachers as well must be prepared and taught how to teach the format.

    1. The truth is that making our high schools more like colleges will not necessarily help them provide a superior education. Nor will it necessarily provide their graduates with a better preparation for success when they encounter true college-level work.

      High school is meant for students to build foundations and progress. AP courses jump the gun by introducing tremendous stress and ruining the foundation of students since they begin studying the material over learning the material. I can use this quote to demonstrate college level work should be sparse in high school and only allowed to a select few that are eligible and motivated to take.

    2. A student who tries to bypass first-year chemistry (even with a 5 on the AP exam) may find second-year chemistry a daunting challenge.

      College introductory classes are better equipped for preparing students for a second year course than AP courses. I can use this quote to prove how ineffective AP courses on prepping students for college.

    3. Contrary to popular belief, very few students at top colleges and universities actually use their AP-exam results to graduate early. One reason is that students tend to enjoy their college years and are often not in a hurry to enter the job market a year or a semester early. A second reason is that many colleges limit the number of credits toward graduation that a student can take from AP courses.

      Stacking on the AP courses throughout high school isn't beneficial since colleges limit how much credit they can take from AP courses. I can use this quote to demonstrate the stacking AP courses is harmful since students go through the trouble of taking the class for the exam but then the college doesn't accept it because the student may have too many AP course credits rather than the colleges approved courses.

    4. In an earlier era, students were encouraged to take four years of mathematics, science, English, history, and language in high school, with an emphasis on the basics. Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I still believe that a student who does this will be superbly prepared for college.

      The emphasis on the basics allows for students to build of of what they learn and further their education, but AP courses don't allow for the basics resulting in learning equations or processes. I can use this quote to expose the lack of education students receive when in AP courses.

    5. Now, in the name of being "advanced," some high schools are trying to outdo colleges in their coverage of theoretical concepts, even though students may not have the mathematics or physics background to understand the theory. In many cases, students have spent so much time studying such concepts as the quantum theory of the energy levels of hydrogen that they have no clue that silicon chips in computers are made from sand.

      AP courses don't apply applications to life and students lack the understanding of the basics since they study equations and steps. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses lack many fundamental concepts that allow students to build off of what they learn.

    6. In high school, teachers of AP courses must frequently race through a yearlong college syllabus, saving several weeks at the end to coach students for the test. They have little opportunity to innovate or bring their own best ideas to the subject because of the sheer volume of information to be presented. Indeed, some AP courses attempt to cover more material than their college analogs do.

      The cramming of information doesn't allow for students to truly learn the material and that's what AP courses are doing in high school. I can use this quote to demonstrate that the set up and preparation of AP courses is inadequate for the exam.

    7. high school curriculum is turning into a pale imitation of college courses

      I can use this quote to point out the flaw in what high schools are attempting to achieve. *pale imitation

    8. advancedplacement programs are rapidly becoming the latest way in which schools are "teaching to the test," rather than using creativity to excite and challenge students.

      AP courses are centered around passing the exam, thus creates the dilemma that teachers teach the test and students don't really learn from the experience. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses hinder the learning process since it leaves students without a basic understanding of the foundations and forces to strictly study the material.

    1. Northern Valley Regional High School recently implemented a dual-enrollment program so students can graduate with college credits from Seton Hall or Bergen Community College.

      I believe that dual credit is more beneficial than AP courses due to that fact that it is a college course they pass they earn credit not some crap where they have to take an exam on everything they crammed to learn in 9 months. I can use this quote to show how there are alternatives (possibly better alternatives) to AP courses.

    2. Some have asked schools to cap the number of AP courses students can take each semester. And some private schools have even eliminated AP offerings altogether.

      Reference to what I stated earlier when I talked about limitations or other courses offerings that don't train students too much

    3. Anthony Tasso, a Fairleigh Dickinson University psychology professor and psychologist with a private practice in Morristown, also argues that the AP's heavy workload has questionable educational value: "The focus tends to be on the outcome rather than the learning," he said. "Students may not end up caring as much about the learning -- they just want to pass the AP exam."

      AP courses are meant for passing the exam thus teachers are teaching the test to students which leads to them not caring about the material or actually applying the lessons learned. I can use this quote to show how AP courses aren't college prep or advanced learning classes but potential college credit.

    4. "Students may push themselves into an AP when they aren't ready and end up unhappy." Many students take the AP in a quest to get into an Ivy League college, but "it's not a path that will lead every child to success."

      The necessity to look desirable for colleges leaves students in the position where taking AP courses is the best option whether they want to or not. This leads to students that aren't prepared to handle the course which leads them to failure. I can use this quote to reinforce that AP courses produce a tremendous amount of pressure for all high schools students that are looking to enhance their image.

    5. To be eligible for college credit, a student must usually pass the AP exam with a score of 3 or higher out of 5 points, although credit is at the discretion of the college.

      Earning a passing score doesn't amount to earning credit in college therefore puts more pressure on students to earn a higher score than 3. I can use this quote to demonstrate that passing the exam, which theoretically should grant a college credit in that course, does not guarantee earning college credit since colleges can decide whether to take them or now.

    6. AP students are expected to perform at a faster pace and have a quicker grasp of material, a demonstration to colleges of seriousness and capability of handling college-level work.

      High school AP courses and college courses are not the same courses. High school students must grasp an array of aspects rather quickly and cram it all for one test where as college courses you pass the class and get the credit. If AP courses were college courses then one exam shouldn't determine whether or not they deserve credit. Passing the class is equivalent to passing a college course. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP students are held at a unfair standard of having to pass an exam to determine if they deserve credit, which may or may not be acceptable based on the score and college, while college student that can pass the class an earn credit. If it is truly a college level course then the exam should not matter.

    7. In AP classes, it's all geared toward passing an exam, so much of the work revolves around how to "ace the test,"

      College preparation? Teachers teach the test so students can pass the exam. AP courses aren't meant for college prep. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses are meant to earn college credit not prepare students for college.

    8. "When you go to a good public school, there's an expectation that you will take the most rigorous classes possible, even if you aren't interested in the class," she said. "A lot of kids are taking APs just because it looks good on our college applications. Some kids get really overworked. ... If you want to go to a top college, you have to have AP classes on your resume."

      Those students that know that their best chance at getting into a prestigious college is by having multiple AP courses force themselves into taking them. The pressure to look good for colleges is enough to get students to load their schedules with AP courses. I can use this quote to demonstrate that some students only take AP courses to look better for college admissions rather than to earn college credit. AP courses are deemed the highest and most prestigious classes to take along with being the best place to learn. There should be other classes where students can learn without being held back and not being pushed so hard.

    9. "It's really stressful," she said. "I'm tired a lot. I'm up every night late doing homework. But that's what you have to do to get into a good college: Even a B in an AP class looks better on the transcript than an A in an honors class."

      The amount of work is tremendous and takes a toll on the student. AP courses have become such a desirable trait for admissions that students force themselves to partake in order to look better than someone who hasn't taken an AP course. I can use this quote to demonstrate that students believe going through all the stress is beneficial when in reality it is harmful to them as the stress amounts and the performance diminishes which there are no longer functioning at their best.

    10. All the teens interviewed, from several high schools, agreed that there's high stress, but they said it's far outweighed by the benefits. Most said schools tell them they must take the demanding courses if they are to get into the best colleges.

      Students believe that the intense workload and stress is worth it to look desirable for colleges. However, high stress can cause students to buckle and fail the exam and then lose out on the essential reason for taking the course. I can use this quote to demonstrate that receiving the college credit is worth the stress, but not receiving credit leaves even more stressed.

    11. critical observers also are pointing to the amplified stress that AP courses put on already high-achieving students with packed schedules.

      Students pack on AP courses to earn college credit, but each course has a tremendous workload. If students can succeed in passing the exam than the stress the developed would pay off, but if they don't then it adds more stress because they now have to take the course in college. I can use this quote that stacking on AP courses is too stressful for students and that there should be a limit of the amount of courses a student can take.

    1. Even if those kids don't do well on the AP test and don't get credit for an AP class, just the fact of their sitting through an AP course in high school makes them do better in college," Catron said. And this is exactly why the Advanced Program Initiative is trying to increase enrollment in AP courses.

      The workload is extensive and provides training for college. Allowing regular students to participate in AP, however, is foolish because they're in the classes they are in because they choose them or cannot progress higher. College is college and people who want to go go. Now, students need to deal with dilemmas as they come, the college workload being one of them, therefore AP courses are a privilege to be in not a preparation. I can use this quote to demonstrate that students who truly want to succeed will do anything in their power to do so.

    2. a 2007 Crux Research report also found that 31 percent of colleges and universities value AP scores when making scholarship decisions, and over 85 percent said AP scores have favorable impact on a student's admission

      AP scores are now part of the criteria of getting scholarships or admitted. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP scores have become a necessity to categorize students and admitting them into college. This shows an unfair advantage to those that pass AP exams to those that don't take the exam as well as those that don't take the course altogether.

    3. Being around kids that are more interested in learning and trying to do well in school has been helpful

      Being surrounded by other students that participate and want to be there is helpful to students' learning environment. AP courses are wonderful for working at a nice pace because most students who can't handle it drop out. This allows for the active students to be more engaged. I can use this quote to demonstrate that active students are the ones taking AP courses and that they benefit because their seeking to learn to pass the exam instead of passing the class to graduate.

    4. Santa Fe High School was selected as one of four schools in state to receive a grant from the New Mexico Advanced Programs Initiative to reward students with $100 if they receive a 3 or higher on a math, science or English AP exam.

      Adding incentives, money, to score well on exams. The AP exam already offers an incentive of earning college credit. I can use this quote to demonstrate that students that see earning a $100 is more motivating then earning college credit aren't looking at their AP course the right way.

    1. If it doesn't benefit the average kid, then maybe the average kid shouldn't take AP. AP are college-level courses, not college preparatory.

      No restrictions on who should be allowed in an AP course may not be beneficial to those students taking the course. An AP course is not suppose to prep for college, it is a college course. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses are meant for the strong willed that are willing to take the exam to earn college credit and not prep for college.

    2. former students who didn't pass the exam have told her how much her class helped them in college.

      Although they failed and didn't receive the credit they benefited from taking the course. Since the class has a heavy work load it helps students to prepare themselves for future challenges. I can use this quote to demonstrate that even though AP courses are meant to earn college credit those that don't pass are prepped to deal with heavy coursework.

    3. But administrators are concerned that subsidizing the cost means less-motivated students are taking the exams

      The cost of the exam is a motivating factor for those that want to pass and subsidizing it would allow those that aren't motivated to pass to take the exam. However, if the student wasn't forced into the course then they should already be motivated because in theory passing the exam would save them money in college. I can use this quote to prove that the cost of the exam doesn't affect those that are determined to take the test to get a college credit.

    4. Universities can award college credit to students who score a 3 or higher on an AP exam, but more schools are setting the bar higher because of concerns that a 3 doesn't show a student has mastered the subject.

      Passing scores aren't accepted because it doesn't show complete mastery. Then what's the point of taking the course if you don't receive the credit. I can use this quote to demonstrate that the purpose of taking the exam is almost meaningless since passing scores aren't credible.

    5. preparing students in middle school for the AP courses and offering more training for teachers.

      The system is changing where active students are not the only ones being introduced to AP, but now being prepared for AP courses. I can use this quote to demonstrate that AP courses are no longer just for active students but schools looking to "prep" students for college.

    6. "We have worked on increasing participation -- getting more kids into classes and removing barriers," said Marie Morris, Irving's assistant superintendent for teaching and learning. "But too many kids have been taking the classes and not making college credit. Now we're looking at increasing the number that pass."

      Allowing more students to take part in an AP course and also expecting them all to score well is redundant. One process can be achieved at a time, unless some radical teaching method develops. I can use this quote to demonstrate that those capable of taking an AP course should be allowed to and those that aren't should not.

    1. The average U.S. high schooler does less than an hour of homework a night and spends twice as much time watching television.

      With certain AP courses homework takes hours and hours of your time. I don't know how accurate this quote is but I can utilize it to demonstrate that AP students go to school for 8 hours then do homework for at least another hour. That's 9 hours of work.

    2. High-school students who take AP science courses are more likely to earn science degrees in college.

      AP courses are aiding students in refining the degree they want to pursue in college. I can use this quote to demonstrate that the higher level of AP courses can help students identify what they want to do either in college or line of work.

    3. principals and teachers were so angry at this they began insisting that students try AP whether they were ready or not. Since 2009, NEWSWEEK has taken such schools--with strong AP participation but AP test-passing rates under 10 percent--off the Best High Schools list and put them on a special Catching Up list.

      Forcing students into AP courses isn't wise since participation sky rocketed but passing rates dwindled into the ground. I can use this quote to demonstrate how being selective in who can join AP courses is beneficial for students since they would have potential to pass the exam rather than struggle through the class and not pass the exam.

    4. the students and their families who choose AP courses tell a different story: they have little interest in list rankings, but crave courses that will prepare them for college and increase their chances of getting into the choosiest universities.

      Students take AP courses to prepare for college and lessen the cost of college. However, this leads to overworking themselves. I can use this quote to demonstrate the mindset the College Board has instilled into students that they'll benefit greatly by taking as much AP courses as possible.

    5. This AP-ization of America has led some critics to warn of overstressed teens, straitjacketed teachers and one-size-fits-all course offerings. In a new book, AP: A Critical Examination of the Advanced Placement Program , Texas Christian University economist Kristin Klopfenstein writes, "it is unlikely that many of the students who are the target of such an AP expansion will benefit."

      AP courses are overworking just about everyone that is directly affiliated with the course. This overworking is counter intuitive to taking AP courses since students are then not working to their full potential. I can use this quote to illustrate the negative effects of taking on multiple AP course.

    6. The honors track, once a respected institution, is losing ground to the college-level, college-approved AP and IB. In some impoverished high schools, students are enrolled in AP whether they ask for it or not.

      AP courses are beating out the honors program because of the potential of gaining college credit. However, passively being enrolled in an AP course is detrimental to students. How can you say for the student whether they are able to handle the course. Students are the best tool for gauging their own capacity and throwing them in AP courses could overwork them. I can use this quote to demonstrate that students are more willing to take a higher level course if they have the potential to gain college credit and how schools have expectations to keep a student in the AP program.

    7. No high-school program has grown as quickly, or to such massive proportions, as Advanced Placement (AP) in the last two decades. It now sets the academic agenda for almost all of the best high schools and is virtually required for any student who wants to get into a selective college.

      AP courses are expanding and becoming a commodity to ensure that students look well for selective colleges. I can utilize this quote to demonstrate the desire and pressure to take AP courses since they are so common and it sets students apart from those who don't take the course.

  2. Feb 2016
    1. "There are no guarantees that students will pass the AP exams," said Christine Nelson, the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at the Reed-Custer district. "We offer both (AP and dual credit), but we are finding that our kids are much more successful with the dual-credit courses."

      I am particularly biased towards this. Students participating in an AP course and pass the class but fail the exam due to bad testing or whatever how is that fair when its equivalent to a college course? Now with dual credit you can easily just take the class and pass and earn credit for high school and college. I can use this quote to undermine how effective AP courses are since dual credit seems the easier route with more success for the same credit.

    2. Rebecca Sulaver, the assistant principal over instruction at West, said it comes down to hiring very good teachers, offering a large array of AP courses and encouraging -- rather than blocking -- access to those classes. When AP exam time comes around, "Our teachers will hold nightly review sessions," Sulaver said. "Teachers will order pizza. We'll have nights where the library is full, with teachers giving review session and all kids are in attendance."

      Good teachers are essential to passing any AP exam and with nightly review sessions theses teachers are going the extra mile. However, certain schools, teachers, or students just can't do this kind of learning since it takes a majority of any one person's time. I can use this quote to demonstrate how effective teachers should be and the standards students are put at to ensure they pass the exam.

    3. Illinois' passing rate for public schools was 62.8 percent for the 2015 exams -- the lowest in the last five years, when passing rates were 64 percent to about 66 percent.

      AP courses are effective for a majority of people within Illinois. The whole reason for AP courses is to earn college credit in high school having been subjected to higher level course, which is equivalent to an actual college course, saving them time and money in college. I can use this quote to demonstrate the effects of passing an AP exam by earning college credit.

    4. even freshmen are taking AP, starting with AP Human Geography. "There are concerns, such as, 'Are they mature enough to handle it?' but we do put things into place to ensure students are supported,

      Younger students aren't mature or have the desired motivation to take such courses. The course is very strenuous and could cause problems to a young student if they can't handle the course. I can use this quote to show that younger students shouldn't have access to AP courses during the school year. *Maybe the College Board can run courses over the summer an have exams before the next school year**

    5. Only 18.7 percent of the 2015 AP exams in May garnered passing scores at Morton West, down from 33.9 percent in 2011. At Morton East, passing rates dropped from 30.6 percent to 23.5 percent between 2011 and 2015 -- not a good sign for students who'd like to get college credit under the new law.

      Allowing or even advocating students who don't qualify to take AP courses is detrimental to the cause. If schools are trying to improve schools 2 things need to happen: teach the course rigorously or narrow down on who is able to take part in the courses. I can use this quote to demonstrate how AP courses are not as effective as they seem since students are unable to handle the course and fail the exam as qualification to get in the course diminish

    6. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you we are a shining example of student achievement," Kuzniewski said, "but we are showing some monster growth in exposing kids to a higher level curriculum."

      Putting students that struggling into a higher level just to have results seems desperate for the schools. where does this growth come from? Is this growth worth the strain put on students? I will use this quote to show how AP courses, meant for college credit, are being utilized to higher the scores of a school to look better.

    7. Spokeswoman Nicole Dizon said the North Shore school's philosophy is that AP classes and exams should be age-appropriate -- freshmen and sophomores aren't allowed to take AP courses and upperclassmen aren't forced to take them.

      This seems beneficial keeping younger students from taking college level classes. However, with this limitation it restricts what AP courses a student can take based on their schedules and mandatory classes to graduate. I can use this quote to demonstrate how age comes into effect in taking on college level courses.

    8. AP classes typically are given more weight in the GPA formula -- as well as get college credit depending on their exam scores

      This is incentive for some students to join AP classes. They look favorable upon the student and help GPA for college applications. I can use this quote to demonstrate the incentives behind taking one or more AP courses.

    9. "We are fundamentally opposed to the gatekeeping that was happening 20 years ago and it continues," said Packer, referencing roadblocks -- such as test scores or grades -- that keep kids from getting into honors and AP classes in high school.

      Advocating to allow to anyone into an AP course is a nice learning experience, but may not benefit everyone who does join. Some students may be forced into the class by parents, teachers, or counselors. This doesn't help the student if they can't keep of with the work load. I can use this quote to demonstrate how allowing everyone into an AP course isn't reflective of AP student's abilities in scoring well.

    10. Trevor Packer, head of the AP program at the nonprofit College Board based in New York, said even students who get scores below 3 can still benefit from AP by attending a rigorous class, becoming familiar with a college-level syllabus, experiencing intensive reading and other benefits.

      This seems like it's only beneficial if you take one AP course. AP courses and college courses don't have the same allotted time to learn the material. I can use this quote to demonstrate how the effectiveness of AP courses diminishes as more are added on.

    11. But even a 3 has been elusive for thousands of Illinois public high school students, test results show. About 95,000 students took some 176,000 AP exams in May, and nearly 40 percent of exams scored below a 3.

      How does this work out like this? Aren't students suppose to test or be prepared to be in the course? I can use this quote to demonstrate how students aren't properly prepped to take an pass the exam.

    1. This article explains how certain organisms inside the stomach can contribute to how be gain weight so rapidly. As a result, everyone's ability to process and store food is varied. I will use this article to explain how obesity is not genetics or someone's own laziness, but a factor that is not yet completely understood.

    2. “But the amount that can be extracted from that diet may vary between individuals — not in a huge way, but if the energy balance is affected by just a few calories a day, over time that can make a big difference in body weight.”

      This may be a reason that some people eat more and more and the quality of the food they're eating also affects how they gain weight.

    3. These germ-free mice, reared in sterile isolators in Gordon’s lab, had 60 percent less fat than ordinary mice. Although they ate voraciously, usually about 30 percent more food than the others, they stayed lean. Without gut microbes, they were unable to extract calories from some of the types of food they ate, which passed through their bodies without being either used or converted to fat.

      If you can partially rid yourself of some of these microflora then you could be able to lose weight and maintain a certain figure?

    4. And it helps extract calories from the food we eat and helps store those calories in fat cells for later use

      Theoretically, the better the microbiota the more calories are derived of food?

    5. obesity still boils down to whether a person eats too much or exercises enough. The danger in bending too far in the direction of a biological explanation — whether that explanation is genetics, infectobesity or some theory yet to be discovered — is that it could be misinterpreted, by fat and thin alike, as saying that behavior is irrelevant.

      Then lazy people would have a perfect excuse to say that it's because of genetics or "infectobesity"

    6. “Individuals who are obese,” the department states on its Web site, “have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.”

      Seems a bit unhealthy to me

    7. invented the term “infectobesity” to describe the emerging field.

      Would be very interesting to see how this enlightens our understanding of obesity.

    8. People like Janet, who can get fat on very little fuel, may be genetically programmed to survive in harsher environments. When the human species got its start, it was an advantage to be efficient. Today, when food is plentiful, it is a hazard.

      This just goes to show that nowadays we don't need to have 4 or 5 or even 6 meals a day. Certain people can survive off of 2. Fasting a meal in the morning before dawn and a meal at night after dusk.

    9. our subjects ate an average of 6,700 calories a day. But what was so impressive to me was the fact that not all fat people eat too much.”

      When I was extremely active I averaged around 6,000 calories a day for about 3 weeks. I gained 14 pounds in muscle not fat.

    1. This article talks about the difference in height and link it to undernourishment. Seemingly, they found a link between height and being malnourished during key growing periods. Those that didn't receive proper nutrition during these periods showed to be slightly shorter than those that did. However, many factors come into play such as environment and genetics. I'll use this source to argue that proper nutrition is vital to develop properly and live a healthier life.

    2. In a recent British study, one group of schoolchildren was given hamburgers, French fries, and other familiar lunch foods; the other was fed nineteen-forties-style wartime rations such as boiled cabbage and corned beef. Within eight weeks, the children on the rations were both taller and slimmer than the ones on a regular diet.

      That sounds like an ideal study to conduct on parts of the nation since they are growing out and not up.

    3. “If these snack foods are crowding out fruits and vegetables, then we may not be getting the micronutrients we need,

      Fast food just tastes so much better along with easier and quicker access to them.

    4. when incomes went up, heights went up (after a predictable lag time), and always to the same degree.

      Assuming that with more income those people were open to more food or even better quality food.

    5. Maya had less food and medicine, and they had much higher rates of disease.

      Lack of food, poor nutrition, is linked to the way people develop.

    6. Swedes ought to be short and stocky, yet they’ve had good clothing and shelter for so long that they’re some of the tallest people in the world. Mexicans ought to be tall and slender. Yet they’re so often stunted by poor diet and diseases that we assume they were born to be small.

      Climate, diet, and self-preservation all contribute to one's own height potential.

    7. humans grew shorter as their cities grew larger.

      Cities were nasty places to be especially when the person was poor and struggling to make a living.

    8. The men of the northern Cheyenne, he found, were the tallest people in the world in the late nineteenth century: well nourished on bison and berries, and wandering clear of disease on the high plains, they averaged nearly five feet ten.)

      They were also pretty active I imagine. Rigorous exercise along with lean meet and fruit seem rather healthy at the time.

    9. Every bout of diarrhea or measles, he found, can bump a child off his growth curve.

      Sickness slows the growth. Having access to medicines and a healthy diet can lead to less risk of infection. Maybe nutrition does spur on growth but keep it from being hindered by other factors.

    10. The results were startling: adult slaves, Steckel found, were nearly as tall as free whites, and three to five inches taller than the average Africans of the time.

      All by being fed more.

    11. “Men grow taller and faster the wealthier their country,” the French hygienist and statistician Louis-René Villermé wrote in 1829. “In other words, misery . . . produces short people.”

      Interesting how you would be able to control someones development based on nutrition.

    12. And those experiences are spelled out in their bodies.

      Constant malnutrition, while younger, will lead into a decline in physical and mental potential.

    13. Any decent diet can send us sprouting at these ages, but take away any one of forty-five or fifty essential nutrients and the body stops growing. (“Iodine deficiency alone can knock off ten centimetres and fifteen I.Q. points,” one nutritionist told me.)

      During these growth spurts inadequate nutrition leads to stunted growth physically and mentally. Wish I ate more when I was younger

    14. Biologists say that we achieve our stature in three spurts: the first in infancy, the second between the ages of six and eight, the last in adolescence.

      The reason why parents make sure that you eat your fruits and vegetables to get all the nutrients you need to grow healthy.

    15. That’s why the United Nations now uses height to monitor nutrition in developing countries.

      This brings up how North Korea's children are stunted and smaller, due to malnutrition, while South Korea's children are just fine.

    1. This article explains how even though people are becoming obese they are also malnourished. As a result, Rhinehart has created this food replacement/supplement to ensure that people get all the nutrients they need while also being convenient. I will use this source to show that those that are aware of the obesity and undernourishment can have a profound affect.

    2. Soylent-producing algae would make food a little like that: there would be no more wars over farmland, much less resource competition.

      Economically beneficial solving the problem of scarce farm land also creating large amounts of demand.

    3. Soylent-producing “superorganism”: a single strain of alga that pumps out Soylent all day. Then we won’t need factories.

      Amibitious

    4. But Soylent makes you realize how many daily indulgences we allow ourselves in the name of sustenance.

      Soylent seems to be more effective if you're already a productive person crunching for time.

    5. “There’s no afternoon crash, no post-burrito coma.” Afternoons can be just as productive as mornings.

      No more need for that 3pm coffee anymore.

    6. It’s more appealing after physical activity

      In general, I think that you crave any meal after physical activity.

    7. Then you assemble a recipe. If manufactured Soylent is a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, the D.I.Y. version is picky-eater heaven

      Allowing to have others critic what you have already made is extremely beneficial to the product, since it introduces aspects you would not have thought of to the product.

    8. “Under ideal storage conditions, this could last much longer.”

      Easily able to pitch Soylent based on tastes and texture and the promise that it'll make you healthier.

    9. The doctors I spoke to agreed that you could subsist on Soylent.

      This could be helpful to those that can't chew their own food.

    10. aspiring bodybuilders drink Muscle Milk, a protein shake designed to add brawn

      I've used various protein and mass building shakes. I noticed slight differences between most but generally settling on taste to decide what to take.

    11. “How much did I just drink?” Rhinehart studied the glass. “A hundred and fifty or two hundred calories,” he said. “About the equivalent of a granola bar.”

      An effective way of controlling calories. I wouldn't mind trying it for a week or two.

    12. “I think the best technology is the one that disappears,” he said. “Water doesn’t have a lot of taste or flavor, and it’s the world’s most popular beverage.”

      Genius

    13. The kitchen was bare, except for a blender.

      Astonishing that they are able to replace food altogether with just Soylent.

    14. And food is a major part of the problem: livestock cause almost fifteen per cent of all greenhouse-gas emissions. In California, which is suffering from its worst drought in a generation, about eighty per cent of all water goes toward agriculture.

      Mass production of food causes for large amounts of supplies needed to be used thus impacting prices substantially.

    15. The notion that we can nourish ourselves with something purer and more effective than food has long been part of our collective fantasy life.

      I'm not a particular diverse eater and have always thought of other alternatives to foods such has supplements and vitamins.

    16. he has sharp features, a gentle voice, and an upright, stiff gait. Though he is a millennial, he has a slightly ageless quality

      Seemingly healthy than what fast food/junk food does to you.

    17. Soylent isn’t coming for our Sunday potlucks. It’s coming for our frozen quesadillas.

      The replacement for fast food

    18. Drinking Soylent was saving him time and money: his food costs had dropped from four hundred and seventy dollars a month to fifty.

      Economically better off

    19. He tried out his own version of “Super Size Me,” living on McDonald’s dollar meals and five-dollar pizzas from Little Caesars

      Without a balance of foods it's impossible to be healthy.

    20. Rhinehart compiled a list of thirty-five nutrients required for survival.

      Only 35 to survive

    21. He began to think that food was an inefficient way of getting what he needed to survive.

      Many people today take supplements to get the nutrients they actually need or don't need.

    1. This article explains how restaurants supersize their meals to get people to buy and eat more. Consequently, this results in people eating more to get their moneys worth of what they're eating. As a result of this overeating people have come accustomed to eating the "food" they are served. I will use this source to show how people's ignorance towards what they eat and how much they eat that results in obesity.

    2. The problem goes even beyond the corporate interests that have brought us

      Won't change anyone's mind if they are completely content with downing fast food everyday.

    3. hese include imposing a “fat tax” on caloric snacks, improving health education, regulating food and beverage advertising, limiting the foods available in public facilities, and insuring access to sidewalks and bike paths.

      Would lead to a healthier population.

    4. It has been estimated that the extra pounds carried by Americans add ninety billion dollars a year to the country’s medical spending.

      All could be avoidable

    5. Type 2 diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension, various kinds of cancers—including colorectal and endometrial—gallstones, and osteoarthritis are just some of the conditions that have been linked to excess weight.

      Back to an early annotation where people were advocating that it is alright to be heavy set. Diseases aren't fun to live with.

    6. Although nearly a billion of the world’s most impoverished citizens still suffer from too few calories

      People stuff their faces and live a stagnate life leaving them fat.

    7. To claim that some people are just meant to be fat is not quite the same as arguing that some people are just meant to be poor, but it comes uncomfortably close.

      Choices can be made to change everything. Choosing to eat like crap will make you look like crap. Choosing to make poor economic decisions will leave you in a poor scenario.

    8. Weight, by their account, is, like race or sex or bone structure, a biological trait over which individuals have no—or, in the case of fat, very limited—control.

      This is laziness

    9. For someone who is in the habit of eating a bagel a day, these extra calories translate into a weight gain of more than a pound a month.

      Not being conscious of the food you eat can guarantee that you'll find yourself out of shape while you continue the oblivious consumption.

    10. “Give them a lot and they eat a lot,”

      Mindlessly eating also an unhealthy habit when one indulges too much.

    11. The result is that as French-fry bags get bigger, so, too, do French-fry eaters.

      Personally, I don't want to throw away food which then obligates me to finish or bring it with me.

    12. supersizing.

      More food that looks like it isn't too much food, but people are just gorging themselves with fast food.

    13. “Conditioned hypereating works the same way as other ‘stimulus response’ disorders in which reward is involved, such as compulsive gambling and substance abuse.”

      Binge eating essentially. Obviously, already an unhealthy state of mind can corrupt the body.

    14. product-development expert

      None of these aspects seem to incorporate health into the equations.

    1. He wrote that if I followed his recommendation of taking 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C, I would live not only 25 years longer, but probably more."

      This is a high amount that you would never be able to get through eating food.

  3. Jan 2016
    1. It’s not that sweet and oily foods have become less expensive; it’s that they’ve been reëngineered while we weren’t looking.

      It isn't one single issue, but this is one of the major ones.

    2. If it’s cheap to consume too many calories’ worth of ice cream or Coca-Cola, it’s even cheaper to consume fewer.

      People don't have self control to eat less.

    3. there’s no more basic tenet of economics than that price matters.

      lower price more quantity

    4. If, instead of sweetened beverages, the average American drank water, Finkelstein calculates, he or she would weigh fifteen pounds less.

      WATER!

    5. Between 1983 and 2005, the real cost of fats and oils declined by sixteen per cent. During the same period, the real cost of soft drinks dropped by more than twenty per cent.

      Easier access to fatty and sugary substances, especially those in financial difficulty, consume more and more of these substances.

    6. humans are genetically programmed to put on weight whenever they encounter plenty, it would seem that by this point virtually everyone in America should be fat.

      Now it comes down to a conscious decision when is the appropriate time to eat and what to eat.

    7. “We evolved on the savannahs of Africa,” Power and Schulkin write. “We now live in Candyland.”

      Wonderful analogy of how we no longer have to go far to find food, but that food contains large amounts of sugar, fats, and etc..

    8. In America today, by contrast, obtaining calories is very nearly effortless

      Pampered lifestyle of fatty quick food that is easily affordable.

    9. As a consequence, a person with a genetic knack for storing fat would have had a competitive advantage.

      Society is no longer competing for survival, thus the weight gain must be for another reason.

    10. The result of this self-reinforcing process was a strong taste for foods that are high in calories and easy to digest; just as it is natural for gorillas to love leaves, it is natural for people to love funnel cakes.

      Calories aren't the only factor to play into weight gain. How active people are as well as their metabolism rate. Many many factors.

    11. Something big must have changed in America to cause so many people to gain so much weight so quickly.

      Never an easy way to find out how an individual personally gains weight.

    12. Hospitals have had to buy special wheelchairs and operating tables to accommodate the obese, and revolving doors have had to be widened—the typical door went from about ten feet to about twelve feet across.

      Rather disgraceful? Why would anyone allow themselves to gain so much weight that accommodations had to be made for the entire country? Baffling.

    13. Had other researchers noticed a change in Americans’ waistlines?

      Since the B.M.I. does not account for anything besides fat it easy to be misrepresented if your muscle mass is above normal. America wasn't putting on fat but the B.M.I. is showing otherwise.

    1. Minimal knowledge of nutrients that were seen as unhealthy clumped foods together based on broad categories. Healthy foods, in moderation, are now seen as food that will lead to health risks. MODERATION.

    2. Early attempted to guide healthy consumption of foods was inadequate and ill informed.

    3. I think it was a wise decision to put goals on dietary heath. Also, showing how when certain foods were rationed during war time the rate of heart disease plummeted.

    4. In terms of eating nutrients over food I believe is true even more so today. Especially for those that workout religiously. I know many people that take protein supplements to get their protein for the increased labor. As well as far as going to take mass gainer, myself included at one point, 1 scoop could contain 2,000 calories as well as up to, if not more than, 200g of carbs.

    5. Sometimes eating properly can't keep you healthy. That's where I would recommend exercise. Again, everything is based on an individuals preferences.

    6. I've noticed that I'll comprise, to an extent, what I believe to be healthy over something I find flavorful. For myself, I tend to keep away from extremely sugary, cholesterol soaked, or sodium enriched foods.

    7. An idea popped into my head some years ago that people who eat whatever they want are foolish. As I contemplated it more and became more educated that isn't the case. Everything is a choice whether it be eating an entire pizza or watching your serving size as you eat broccoli it doesn't matter. Summing this all up, I myself enjoy having a lean figure and watch what I eat, but that isn't the case with everyone. Some people may eat chocolate cake all day for a week straight and they couldn't be happier. All about preference, not my own, but that's the rational I've concluded from my original thought.

    8. I never believe diets to be a "true to their word" kind of thing. I believe if you eat correctly you can be perfectly healthy, however everyone has their vices and comfort foods, myself included, that prevent this perfect health.

    9. The author has a valid point that you should be consuming food rather than a product that is claimed to be food. You tend to get nasty flavors and unforeseen consequences when you eat food products

    10. Reading the author's suggestion about how much meat someone should consume depends specifically from person to person. I myself need more protein in my diet because of how active I am.

    1. Thecowalmosttipstheframeover,andtheownerpunchesherintheribs

      Always unfortunate to read about people torturing animals.

    2. Astallionisamalehorse.

      This sentence seems oddly forced in there.

    3. hehorseshavetighthidesandapple-sizedeyesthataresetonthesidesoftheirheads,likefish.I'verarelybeenthisclosetofinelivestock.Thehorses'facesarelongandsomehowsuggestiveofcoffins

      Very comparative that brings vivid images.

    4. up3oo-plus.acresonthenorthsideofSpring-field,adepressedcapitalof109,000whereyou.can'tspitwithouthittingaLincoln-siteplaque

      Illinois is filled with almost nothing but farm land and emptiness. Rather a dull place

    5. Allthetoysaridplasticplay-groundequipmenthavesignsthatsay"Courtesy..of"andthenacorpo-ratename.

      All of this of course is just to promote that whatever they make or do has fine as long as they provide enjoyment to children. Corporations working endorsements to promote themselves. A little annoying with over advertisement.

    6. Idon't'wanttoasperse,.butRonaldMcDonaldsoundslikehe'sundertheinfluenceofsome-thingmorethanfreshcountryair.

      Nice subtle hint although not needed helps set what is happening around the Fair.

    7. orld'sFastestOne-MileDirtTrack

      Back to the point of racing I had said in a previous comment. They had a semi-truck equipped with a jet engine. Never ceases to amaze me at how people come up with entertainment.

    8. rses'odorssharp,cows'rich,sheep'soily,swine'sunspeak-able.

      Whenever I hear or think of butchery or poultry the unsanitary and grotesque facts and images of when the practice became mass produced also come to mind.

    9. shirtlessguyswithtattoosandwrenchessloucharoundthem

      This is similar to when I was at Route 66 to watch cars race. Many people were just walking around shirtless all burnt from being outside to long.

    10. oldjeans.

      The author used a great comparison to classify the sky and bring upon a vivid image.

  4. Dec 2015
    1. At Home Birthing

      I enjoy the entire layout of the remix. I believe it really grabs your attention with the different fonts and styles.