Published: 10-21-08
TAB Demands Oversight for Pre-AP Curricula Maintain Extra Credit for Students
(AUSTIN) – Texas Association of Business (TAB) President Bill Hammond announced a compromise proposal to ensure that public school students are rewarded for honors coursework and that honors curricula meets rigorous approval standards.
TAB’s proposal was generated in response to a plan from Raymond Paredes Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) that eliminates weighted grade point averages for freshman and sophomore accelerated courses known as “pre-AP”.
The Paredes plan would eliminate weighted course grades for “pre-AP” classes when factoring grade point averages. THECB cites concerns that extra credit given for taking “pre-AP” could be abused in the absence of curriculum oversight from school officials.
“There are many good pre-AP programs in addition to excellent career and technology education courses throughout our state. Taking away our weighted grade incentives will discourage our students from participating in more difficult courses” said Bill Hammond TAB President.
“While a handful of schools are taking advantage of the lack of oversight in the rigor and quality of advanced curriculum the solution is not to throw out the incentives for our freshmen and sophomores in honors instruction” said Hammond.
“The system must maintain the benefit of honors programs for students while also requiring these accelerated courses are approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This will allow the good programs to thrive while sub par programs would be required to meet quality standards.”
TAB’s proposal continues the association’s long history as a champion of public education in general and career and technology education in particular. Most recently the organization spearheaded the Texas Coalition for a Competitive Workforce bringing together trade and research organizations to promote academic accountability and create further emphasis on career and technology education.
Founded in 1922 the Texas Association of Business is a broad-based bipartisan organization representing more than 140000 small and large Texas employers and 200 local chambers of commerce.
