After modifying AP World exams, the AP Chemistry and AP Biology courses, the College Board has decided to completely change the Algebra Based AP Physics B course.  Starting next school year, AP Physics B will not be available to ERHS students, due to the College Board’s decision to replace it with two new courses, which are intended to help better develop the physics concepts.

The College Board has announced that they have decided to discontinue the current AP Physics B course and in lieu, replace it with 2 new full year courses; Algebra based AP Physics 1 and 2. The calculus based AP Physics C course will not be affected and will remain the same.

[1]The decision to change the course was based upon a study conducted by the National Research Council (NRC).  In the study, the NRC came to a conclusion that the current AP Physics B course is too broad, with many topics covered within a single year and that it doesn’t help develop a deeper understanding of the important topics and key foundations of physics. The College Board will be altering the structure of the course and the expectations, by providing a new curriculum, which heavily emphasizes on the science concepts as well as hands-on labs. In result, there will be a new AP exam for each of the courses, AP Physics 1 and 2.

The AP Physics B teachers favor the new courses because it will be really helpful to the students, especially those who tend to struggle with physics. AP Physics B and C teacher, Ms. Yau-Jong Twu said “I think it’s going to help students with weakness”. She continued, “It will be more manageable for students, which would mean they would be more successful and better prepared for college.”

Dr. Laurent Rigal, an AP Physics B teacher favors the change with the course for two positive reasons. “It will bring in more opportunity to do labs and hands-on activities and it will build up knowledge and solid background for three years” he said.

The student body has some mix feeling regarding the College Board’s decision and the new course. There are some who do not like the change, like sophomore Bruno To, who disagrees, and said studies “can’t determine the mind of someone that can truly take in the information of AP Physics B.”

Junior and current AP Physics B student, Margaret Yuan also said she does not agree with the NRC’s reasoning, and said she disagrees with this decision “because many students in [her] AP Physics B class now, are ready to be challenged at that level and seem to not have a problem with the broad curriculum.”

On the other hand, Hope Opia, a sophomore here at ERHS,  said she likes the plan of a new AP Physics course. “I think that making it a two year course would be great,” Hope continued on, mentioning she likes the idea of allowing the sophomores to take an advanced level course, their tenth grade year. “You should always try to start early in pursuing your future career.”

Former AP Physics B student and Senior, Anam Khatib agreed as well, because she feels the course “was extremely fast-paced” and “there was so much material to cover in insufficient time.”

Freshman, Robin Lee said “It [The AP Physics 1 and 2 courses] sounds like a good opportunity.”

The Prince George’s’ county has approved ERHS to offer AP Physics 1 to any student who has completed the ninth grade and will be taking Algebra 2 or higher the next school year.

  However, the problem arises for the Science and Tech (S/T) students. The Science and Technology coordinators of Prince Georges County have made the decision to add the new courses to the Exploratory major. The decision simply means that no rising S/T sophomores and juniors can take AP Physics 1 or 2 in their 10th or 11th grade. They are only allowed to take AP Physics 1 or 2 in their senior year and that is if they decide to do the Exploratory major.

  Ms. Twu and Dr. Rigal have gone to the S/T Chemistry classes to notify the sophomores of the decision and have discussed it with their AP Physics B classes. In result, many sophomores had a strong reaction. Sophomore Kailey Haid said she is hurt by the decision. “What am I going to do to get all my AP requirements met, when AP Physics B was my plan?” Kailey said.

Another sophomore, Chloe Aloimonos said it’s unfair to the science and tech students. “It’s not fair that science and tech students can only take AP Physics 1 or 2 senior years. It’s not fair that the classes before us could take it and we can’t.”

And junior and current AP Physics B student, Delia Parrish mention the decision will cause “the rising juniors not have to same advantages as those a year ahead or those a year behind.”

Senior and former AP Physics B Student, Harsh Atit, thinks the decision “Deprive them [the S/T students] of the chance.”

Dr. Rigal mentions that the class would be extremely beneficial to the students, “Whether or not someone wants to go into a stem career because the course helps develop critical thinking” Ms. Twu says, “A course with more depth and complexity provides a stronger foundation than a course that covers more topics.”

The AP Physics B teachers as well as Mr. Reginald McNeil, the school’s principal, are still trying to get permission from the science and technology coordinators to allow the S/T sophomores and juniors to take AP Physics 1 and 2.

If the decision of the S/T coordinators remains the same, then all rising S/T juniors will be placed in S/T physics. The idea is still in a working process, but the current plan is to have two different levels of S/T physics. One level is for those who just want to take S/T Physics. The other level is for those who want more a rigorous physics course, which will act like the middle level between S/T Physics and AP Physics 1. The middle level or the more rigorous Physics course will cover more topics than AP Physics 1, with less complexity and depth, but will have more depth than S/T Physics.  There will be no AP exam for the middle level course and it will be weighted like a normal course. The more rigorous course will be available to the non S/T students, along with Regular Physics, Honors Physics, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C.

Junior Shewta Roy, a student of AP Physics B, disagreed with the change to the current system, and said “when we have a system that works now why go fishing around for other programs. If students can handle the challenge then let them at least have the opportunity to face it.”

On the other hand, Zakiya Carter, a sophomore, thinks the opposite. “I think making a course more rigorous than S/T physics but less than the AP course would be a good idea” said Carter.

And sophomore Elizabeth Mulvey partially agrees. “I think that the two levels of S/T Physics is a good attempt to deal with some of the issues created by the change but doesn’t do enough to solve the problem,” she said.

If the decision stands, then Ms. Twu said “the more rigorous Physics course will be a good substitution and an option to the science and tech students, but [she] still prefers AP Physics 1”, and Dr. Rigal said it’s better than having an alternative option, rather than no option at all. “At least a second level of Physics will prepare students better for AP Physics” he explained.

The Science and Technology coordinator has not given a response regarding the decision of not allowing the S/T student to take AP Physics 1 junior.

For more information regarding this change, feel free to visit these sites to learn more:

http://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/math-and-science/physics

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/2012advances/Before_After_Physics_V3_HT.pdf

https://sites.google.com/site/twuphysicslessons/for-erhs-ap-physics-b-students

● [1] Information taken from http://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/math-and-science/physics

[1]