Each June, AP teachers and college faculty members from around the world gather in the United States to evaluate and score the free-response sections of the AP Exams.
“I did this last year and I was hoping to learn something about what they looked for in the essays and how to pass that on to students,” said Harris. “This year’s class did seem more confident about their writing after the exam. We’ll see in July when the scores come out.”
“The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer,” said Trevor Packer, Senior Vice President, AP and College Readiness at the College Board. “It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Bill Harris.”
“I never thought I’d look forward to a week of grading essays but I really am,” said Harris. “The most rewarding part turned out to be sitting around a table talking geography with college professors and other AP teachers. I learned a lot from listening to good teachers, both about the subject and teaching it.”
The Advanced Placement Program® enables academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies – with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both – while still in high school. Research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students.
In 2012, more than 11,000 AP Readers evaluated more than 3.7 million AP Exams.