Myth: Our District Has A Gifted and Talented Program: We Have AP
Courses While AP programs across the country have been
beneficial to many students in offering rigorous courses where
they may not have been offered before, and in providing a
stepping stone for implementing K-8 gifted education programs,
they are only one component of a complete and effective gifted
education program. They lack the comprehensive, differentiated
continuum of services necessary to meet the wide-ranging needs
of gifted students. AP programs by themselves cannot substitute
for gifted education services. They were designed to make
college more accessible and appealing for high potential
secondary students, offering college credit without college
costs. While the classes are rigorous, the goal is not focused
on maximizing potential. Many school districts are pressing
nearly all their students, even those who are underprepared, to
enroll in AP classes, creating concerns about teachers' ability
to cover all the course materials necessa