1 Working Hypothesis 1

. Because the high school system is power-driven and prioritizes reputation-raising statistics high school administration manipulates their students by misguiding them to believe it is in their best interest to endeavor in dual enrollment courses and advanced placement classes when in reality, the many overlooked downfalls of these programs go unnoticed and are much higher in number when compared to the limited benefits.

1a – Working Hypothesis 2

1. Although there is potential for advanced placement classes and dual enrollment courses in high schools, these programs are problematic. They add luster to a high school’s reputation, which tempts administrators to coerce under-qualified students into participating even when it risks their mental health therefore there are numerous adjustments that could be made.

Opening Paragraph 1 ( not my designated parargraph )

More and more high school students are pursuing Dual Enrollment Advanced placement courses without being aware that many of these programs are not looking out for their success. Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement are among the most well-known routes for advancing high school students’ education, as researcher Ackerman stated in his article High School Advanced Placement…” there has been an explosive growth in the number of AP exams administered.” Those who don’t engage in higher education, however, have less work and stress so they have more time to socialize, engage in extracurriculars, play sports, spend time with family, get jobs, partake in internships, visit colleges, and most importantly take time for themselves. It doesn’t matter whether a student is intelligent or not, any person who advocates for a student to add more difficult classes to their already busy lives isn’t looking to benefit the student’s overall well-being. 

Thesis: Ap and Dual Enrollment are not looking out for student success

Opening Paragraph 2 

Many students and their families, blindly pursue AP courses and Dual enrollment opportunities without considering the risks they are taking by doing so. The downfalls of these programs overweighs the positives. For instance, while these courses are almost entirely free to take, if you don’t succeed in rigorous testing for these courses, they don’t offer college credit, resulting in time wasted for the student. When parents encourage students to take these courses parents are driven based on unrealistic goals of perfectionism and don’t notice how stressed their children become. High school administration and teachers receive a large range of benefits as well, none of which go back to the student. Meanwhile, the students in these courses are left alone to tackle countless issues they would have never encountered if it weren’t for these courses. The limited teenage years students get should not be spent worrying about how well they’re doing in programs that are not prioritizing their success and overall well-being. 

edited after revision : (2)
Many students and their families, blindly pursue AP courses and Dual enrollment opportunities without considering the potential for burnout, demotivation, or exhaustion that can result from the additional work. Students inevitably strive to put in additional work and in doing so accumulate added stress and other detrimental effects which oftentimes don’t generate non-academic related, personal gain for the student. Although students overall well-being isn’t benefitted from these programs, parents and administration still encourage enrollment. Parents may do so to fulfill goals of perfectionism in their child while the administration may reek a multitude of benefits for which none go back to the student involved. This then leads students to become the product of a hidden agenda, similar to the instance of a rat suffering the results of a scientific experiment gone wrong.

Thesis: There are more downfalls in AP and Dual Enrollment than benefits.

2. Academic Sources

1. https://bit.ly/3rAPpPl – Dual credit education programs in Texas Phase II – 60x30tx.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from http://www.60x30tx.com/media/1428/dual-credit-education-programs-in-texas.pdf
2. Offers a breakdown of how Texas uses the dual enrollment program in terms of accessibility, diversity, quality, and efficiency. Texas and other states implement these courses with the hope that more students will take on college courses ” to enroll in college and to complete college degrees or credentials” In the article they ask themselves if, however, the courses are being taken too soon so as a result they examines these programs on levels of quality, efficacy and cost effectiveness of the program. This source served a purpose in my research by offering me extensive detail on the workings of the dual enrollment program and numerous concerns others have with the program. 

2 https://bit.ly/3EkZRBY

Reading #1 Key points – Predictors Of Success Among High School Students in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate ( notes )

1. Predictors Of Success Among High School Students in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate  – https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177 … (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.transtutors.com/questions/https-journals-sagepub-com-doi-abs-10-1177-105256298901400209-is-a-professor-simply–5302979.htm

Offers extensive research on academic, emotional, physical, and mental factors that need to be considered in order for a student to become successful in school. Author explains that her research was done with the following domains of success in mind: life satisfaction, psychopathology, school burnout, academic, and AP exam scores. It highlights that higher education students experience deeper levels of stress and anxiety and for this reason there should be more consideration before entering these programs. This particular source found relevance in my paper by exemplifying the importance of mental health in educational programs. This article was also used to see that sometimes high schools and colleges gain incentives from their higher education programs. 

3. Topics for Small Papers

• students mental health in highschool alone ( not even mentioning the toll dual enrollment takes )
• parents view on their overachieving child not spending time with the family
• the average schedule for a highschool student and what having extra responsibility ( such as college work) can do for them
• Do teachers make a profit off of encouraging students to take on advanced placement and dual enrollment courses
• The expanding use of dual enrollment and ap
• how college board has helped/ not helped students get into college
• the amount ap and dual enrollment costs
• https://collegepossible.org/news/the-economic-impact-of-college-degrees/ ( can be used for a small paper on the social impact having more individuals with degrees could mean for the world
• Mental health issues of gifted children – First article https://bit.ly/3MqQDpS ( SHORT 1)

Annotated Bibliography

1. https://bit.ly/3rAPpPl – Dual credit education programs in Texas Phase II – 60x30tx.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from http://www.60x30tx.com/media/1428/dual-credit-education-programs-in-texas.pdf

Offers a breakdown of how Texas uses the dual enrollment program in terms of accessibility, diversity, quality, and efficiency. Texas and other states implement these courses with the hope that more students will take on college courses ” to enroll in college and to complete college degrees or credentials” In the article, they ask themselves if, however, the courses are being taken too soon so as a result, they examine these programs on levels of quality, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the program. This source served a purpose in my research by offering me extensive detail on the workings of the dual enrollment program and numerous concerns others have with the program. 

2. Predictors Of Success Among High School Students in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate  – https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177 … (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.transtutors.com/questions/https-journals-sagepub-com-doi-abs-10-1177-105256298901400209-is-a-professor-simply–5302979.htm

Offers extensive research on academic, emotional, physical, and mental factors that need to be considered in order for a student to become successful in school. The author explains that her research was done with the following domains of success in mind: life satisfaction, psychopathology, school burnout, and academic, and AP exam scores. It highlights that higher education students experience deeper levels of stress and anxiety and for this reason, there should be more consideration before entering these programs. This particular source found relevance in my paper by exemplifying the importance of mental health in educational programs. I also used this to see that sometimes high schools and colleges gain incentives from their higher education programs. 

3. Darity, W., Castellino, D., Tyson, K., Cobb, C., & McMillen, B. (2001, April 30). Increasing opportunity to learn via access to rigorous courses and programs: One strategy for closing the achievement gap for at-risk and ethnic minority students. ERIC. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED459303

This source highlighted the growing popularity of higher education courses and the programs’ potential to help minority students. The article points out that there many factors of these programs that need to be adjusted before they can truly help students. This article became relevant in my research when it helped me discover the influence parents played in “pushing” students to partake in dual enrollment and AP opportunities. 

4. Hayes, M. L., & Sloat, R. S. (1990). Suicide and the Gifted Adolescent. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 13(3), 229–244. https://doi.org/10.1177/016235329001300304

This article makes a point to portray the effects of overwhelming gifted students. It highlights the mental health concerns of those students who are pushed too hard in their academic studies such as talented students. This article was extremely relevant to my research when it proved that gifted students are among one of the most popular groups of students to take AP and Dual Enrollment courses. This article offered extensive research on various situations where various categories of gifted students found themselves in the face of suicidal thoughts. 

5. Lichten, W. (2000). Whither Advanced Placement?. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8, 29. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v8n29.2000More Citation Formats 

This article offers background on AP courses and highlights the downfalls of AP courses that many fail to realize. In particular, this article helped verify the minimal number of students who take AP and pass the final exam to gain college credit. This article also points out the extreme amount of stress students endure in AP. 

6. Wachowiak, G. M. (2015). Dual enrollment experiences: Perceptions of readiness for postsecondary education (Order No. 3732521). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Social Science Premium Collection. (1734891739). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fdual-enrollment-experiences-perceptions-readiness%2Fdocview%2F1734891739%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605

This article focuses on the ability of Dual enrollment and AP courses to equip students for college. The article highlights thoroughly the downfalls these programs possess in properly designation which students to encourage to enter these programs and when. The author emphasizes that administration and teachers play a huge role in luring students to partake in these programs. 

7. An NCPR working paper high school dual enrollment programs: Are we … – ed. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED527527.pdf

This article talks about the structure of Dual Enrollment programs and the potential flaws that could be hindering the program from being truly successful. One of the driving points the author uses against Dual Enrollment is the regulations on eligibility for students. He claims that the eligibility restrictions are too broad and need to be narrowly defined so the proper students are entering and benefitting from these programs.  

8. Cai, G., Wei, Z., & Wong, Y. (2022, January 17). Special education-an education programs are still in input. Special Education-An Education Programme Still in Input | Atlantis Press. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/sdmc-21/125968450 

This article provided information on special education programs, which I used to show the strengths of special education programs. I specifically pinpointed the environment endorsed in a special education classroom as being, welcoming, accommodating, and geared toward the student’s best interest. In stating this, this article was then used to compare the environment endorsed in Ap and Dual Enrollment programs to prove that the environment in a Special Education program is much more established toward the student than in AP and Dual Enrollment classrooms. 

9. Do teachers need special qualifications to teach AP classes? Master of Arts in Teaching Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.masterofartsinteaching.net/faq/do-teachers-need-special-qualifications-to-teach-ap-classes/ 

This source speaks on the guidelines of AP classes regarding teachers. The central question this article answered was whether teachers needed additional qualifications to teach AP classes. The answer the article provided showed that teachers do not need additional training to teach AP, which I used as a flaw of AP in my writing. 

10. (2012, May 29) LaRon A. Scott. Why Do They Stay? Factors Associated With Special Education Teachers’ Persistence from SAGE Publications Inc. (2022, January 14). Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journals 

 This article speaks on the determination teachers of Special Education students have. Compared to AP and Dual Enrollment teachers Special Education teachers proved in this article more qualified to teach their selection of students. z I utilized this source to explain that AP and Dual enrollment programs need teachers as determined as Special Education teachers. 

11. Only for my kid – scottmcleod.org. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2022, from http://scottmcleod.org/1998%20-%20PDK%20-%20Only%20For%20MY%20Kid.pdf

This article focuses on the blindness of gifted parents to the traumas their children are enduring from being pushed into pursuing higher education. The article criticizes parents who aren’t looking out for their child properly in these programs and explains the detrimental effects this treatment can have on their mental health. I used this point to emphasize that parents often push their children into partaking in these programs blindly.  

12. Suldo, S. M., Hearon, B. V., & Shaunessy-Dedrick, E. (2018). Examining gifted students’ mental health through the lens of positive psychology. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 433–449). American Psychological Association.

This article focuses on the positive and negative effects of pursuing higher education on a student’s health. The article makes it a point to emphasize that there are positives and negatives to giftedness and dual enrollment programs. This article served as proof in my writing that students in higher education are facing many risks because their overall health isnt being considered over their academic standing.

13. AP vs. Dual Enrollment: The Pros & Cons of each program. Research.com. (2022, October 5). Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://research.com/education/ap-vs-dual-enrollment 

This source offers a direct comparison of the differences between AP and Dual Enrollment. The information I used was regarding the negatives these programs possess. I make it a point to highlight these negatives because these are negatives that certainly shouldn’t be ignored. This source was very helpful because prior to utilizing it I was generally keeping AP and Dua enrollment together instead of separating them for a bit. 

14. Kanny, M.A. (2015), Dual Enrollment Participation From the Student Perspective. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2015: 59-70. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20133

This article takes a deeper look into Dual Enrollment from the student’s perspective. This work does an excellent job of proclaiming the “ behind the scenes” feature I emphasize in my writing. For this reason, I use this source to reveal the truth behind the amount of support a student receives while in these programs. 

15. Venegas, K. (2022, July 12). Is increased access enough? Advanced Placement courses, quality, and success in low-income urban schools. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.academia.edu/4414551/Is_Increased_Access_Enough_Advanced_Placement_Courses_Quality_and_Success_in_Low_Income_Urban_Schools?auto=citations&from=cover_page

There are many connections this article makes to my research including highlighting deficiencies in the Ap program specifically toward minority students. I utilize this article to state that these courses although they claim to help minority students are making it harder to advance their education. I also use it to emphasize that the program should be spread more efficiently to members of minority classes and schools where it is not.