The absence of AP classes offered to sophomores at Kaneland High School is leading to stress and busy schedules for upperclassmen and is a concern for many students this school year.
There has never been an AP course offered to the average sophomore student in English, science, social studies or math. Some exceptions are sophomores taking the freshman-level course AP Human Geography a year late or a math student that is excelling above their grade level.
“If there were classes offered to sophomores,” science department chair Breanne Kahl said, “I think it might help students spread the AP coursework out instead of taking all of it just junior and senior year.”
Other departments and staff members agree with Kahl, including social studies department chair Jessica McNally.
“We definitely have sophomores that are capable of being successful in AP courses,” McNally said. “A lot of times it looks like Human Geo at the freshman level, and then AP World History or AP European History at the sophomore level, and then AP U.S. History commonly at the junior level, and then AP Government and AP Econ at the senior fund.”
AP Economics does not fall in the social studies department, but McNally still teaches the class.
According to McNally, there is a 80-100% pass rate within the AP history classes based on last year’s results, giving her hope for her current and future AP students.
While some teachers agree that sophomores should have the opportunity to take AP courses, others are on the opposite side of the argument. They believe that students would not benefit from these courses.
Math department chair Travis Berth is focused on the stress factor that is added by these AP courses for most students, especially at such a young and impactful age.
“If a student is taking five or six classes plus the other demands of being in high school themselves, this is a good caseload,” Berth said. “Stress can factor in.”
If students are also balancing extracurricular activities, home life and jobs, the stress can pile up even more. Another teacher who agrees with Berth’s point of view is English teacher Christina Staker.
“I feel like you guys are already pressured enough to be getting A’s and worried about college and all those things,” Staker said. “So my personal opinion is that you guys don’t really need AP classes that young.”
Staker brought up another point that these AP courses involve college-level topics and 15- and 16- year-olds might not be prepared enough to take those classes.
Every source was asked the same question of if they took AP classes their sophomore year, and these were their responses: Kahl did not take any, Berth did not take any, Staker did not take any and McNally did not take any.
“But I don’t feel like I lost out on anything,” Staker said. “I still went off to college and was very successful, so I feel like that speaks a lot.”
