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September 5, 2008 5:31:09 PM CDT

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Arrivederci to AP Italian? Not So Fast, Educators Say

Posted Jul 3, 08 3:24 PM CDT in US,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Italian-American groups, outraged the Advanced Placement course in Italian language and culture could soon be shelved, have mobilized to save it. The College Board, which administers the AP program, plans to cut the $84 test and three others because of meager enrollment and funding. “We cannot have the Italian program eliminated,” one advocate tells the Washington Post. It’s “too important to us.”

Educators declared victory in 2006 after scoring an AP test for Italian, which can burnish a student’s transcript. Losing it, they fear, will doom the field. “If you take away the Italian AP now, you are breaking the program,” said one teacher. Administrators are also set to close the book on AP French literature, Latin literature, and computer science.

Source Washington Post

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The AP program measures high school students against the standards of college. It has emerged as one of the top tier programs for college-bound juniors and seniors. Good scores can yield credit and advanced...   (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)
The AP program has become so entrenched in the nation's schools that the elimination of a test can imperil an entire field of study. "If you take away the Italian AP now, you are breaking the program,"...   (Index Stock)
The first AP Italian tests were given in 2006. Participation topped 2,000 this year, but proponents have struggled to build a pipeline of students sufficiently prepared for the exam.   (Index Stock)
Educators had hoped to secure a future for AP Italian alongside Spanish and French and stave off competition from fast-growing programs in Japanese and Chinese.   (Index Stock)
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college board  • tests  • college preparation  • Italian Americans


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