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This empirical study explored participation patterns of 1,733 Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teachers in the online AP teacher community (APTC) following the redesigned AP science examinations in the United States. We identified profiles of teachers with different levels of engagement in this peer-based online learning community. Our results provide insight into underrepresented user groups and the development of more personalized online teacher support systems. Our analysis suggested that teachers’ knowledge and experience, the enactment of AP practices, challenges with the AP redesign, and AP workload were all significantly associated with changes in the probability of teachers becoming APTC users. This indicated that the APTC attracted a non-representative population sample of all AP physics teachers. However, most teacher, teaching, and school characteristics provided no indication as to whether APTC users were posters or lurkers.
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When low-SES students perform better-than-expected on a standardized test: The role of teacher professional development.
This paper describes a study using a quasi-experimental design to examine teachers’ preparations in low-income schools for a revised version of the AP Biology and AP Chemistry examinations, and explores variables associated with student scores on the AP science examinations that are better than would be predicted based on their PSAT scores. Considering the frequently-measured achievement gap on high-stakes examinations, identifying “what works” to raise student performance of at-risk students is an urgent area for research. The analyses indicate that (a) districts per-student funding allocations, (b) teachers’ knowledge and experience, and (c) teachers’ participation in professional development activities with a responsive agenda and effective support for teaching the redesigned AP science course are significantly associated with higher students’ average performance on the AP science exams than would be predicted.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1221861
- PAR ID:
- 10067591
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- American Educational Research Association
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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