Hinsdale High School District 86 students will have the opportunity to take AP exams in person and on paper this spring, but they will be at a disadvantage to students who take the exams digitally.
The College Board announced Feb. 4 that tests will be offered during three time slots. The first window offers traditional in-person paper exams for all 34 subjects May 3-7, 10-12, 14 and 17. A mix of exams will be offered in person, on paper and digitally, to be taken at school or at home, from May 18-28. Then digital exams will be offered from June 1-11. Digital exams are available for 25 AP courses.
The district believes the best option is offering the digital exams in June, said Chris Covino, assistant superintendent for academics.
“All students have an additional four weeks of instruction time, specifically the entire month of May, before they take the test,” he said at the Feb. 11 board meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Hinsdale South sophomore Anastasia Galinski, through comments she submitted to be read, advocated for in-person paper exams proctored by teachers.
“Please ensure this option is offered and staffed appropriately at Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central for all AP exams,” Galinski told board members.
Four other South students also submitted comments with the same request.
Choosing the June option would allow teachers to reorganize the curriculum to allow for an additional month of instruction and would not require the schools to alter the existing schedule to accommodate the tests, Covino said. The district might need to shift to remote learning for all during that time period to accommodate all the AP exams.
“We have hundreds of students who have to take a test at a specific time on a specific day almost every day of the week for two weeks,” he said. “If we can only put 50 kids in a room, we have to start moving kids around in all the rooms.”
Covino did tell students they will not be forced to take the exams online.
“We will work with students who want to take their AP course in person and on paper,” he said. “If students choose to take it early, we will have a way for them to do it paper, pencil.”
Covino said after AP teachers and department leaders are consulted, the district will send a survey to parents.
“We’ll use that information to craft a true plan,” he said.
Last year, 1,025 AP students at Central took 2,611 exams. More than 91 percent earned a score of 3 or higher.
The registration deadline for this year’s exams is March 10.
