'Challenge Index' Measures Quantity, Not Quality

Each year, Jay Matthews of the Washington Post takes it upon himself to value and rate quantity rather than quality. This great endeavor is the Challenge Index.

Schools are ranked by dividing the number of AP/IB tests given by the number of seniors.  This produces a ratio that falsely indicates the quality of the school.

Jay Matthews writes of the glory of schools, particularly lower income schools, who push students to take AP classes.

The method of ranking is flawed, and much debated, but the real problem is in its wake. 

Fairfax County launched a recent initiative to have every student graduate with one AP/IB credit.

Hm.  That sounds like a ploy to get a higher ranking, considering the index is determined by dividing the number of tests given by the number of graduating seniors.

IB/AP classes are not a walk in the park- and they should not become one.  This will inevitably happen if the classes made for the exceptional become the norm.

My own school, Robinson, ranked 33 on the D.C. Area Challenge Ranking Index.  It ranked below Centreville, Lake Braddock, Oakton and Woodson.  All AP schools.

Robinson is an IB school.  AP schools have a clear advantage because AP courses can be taken at any time, while students take IB exams senior and junior year. 

Encouraging too many students to enroll in AP/IB classes is a mistake- it will not only dumb down the quality of education but also introduce staffing conflicts.

And is has watered down the quality.  More students are enrolled in IB English 1 than English 11.  I experienced many awkward silences in that class with students who could not for the life of them understand the meaning of Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

As an IB Diploma candidate who has completed my exams, I can safely say that not all IB students are created equal.  I have witnessed both IB diploma students and non-diploma students enrolled in IB classes fail, cheat and b.s their way through books.

Kids need to be smart to be in those classes. 

Not just academically intelligent, but have smart study habits and make smarter choices.  It only holds the class back when half the kids have “left their homework at home.”

Pushing students who do not exhibit good work habits nor above average intelligence to enroll in advanced classes just hurts the other students- but it may just earn schools a higher ranking.

Apparently, it’s all about appearances and quantity of quality.  What started as a way of recognizing pooer districts accomplishments in pushing students (and they were rightly recognized) has become a means of competition and compromising what were rigorous courses.