Project Advance Biology: An Alternative to Advanced Placement Biology

Abstract

FOR THE PAST 25 years, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program has given high school students the opportunity to undertake college-level work while in a secondary environment. More than 1,000 colleges and universities grant credit and/or advanced placement to those who obtain a grade on the AP examination that is acceptable to the college. By offering college-level courses in 15 different subjects, the AP program has even enabled some high school seniors to earn enough credits to fulfill their freshman requirements for college. Con sidering the rising cost of college tuition, this acceleration represents a significant savings, while giving the student time for more advanced work or for taking electives. Recently, another program that enables high school seniors to take college courses for credit has been implemented; this is the Syracuse University Project Advance Program (Wilbur and Chapman 1978). Since its inception in six pilot high schools in 1973, the Project Advance program has grown so that it now serves over 4,000 students in nearly 90 schools located in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Introductory col-