Mass Insight Education and Research

Explore Student Experiences Throughout the School Year

Click on each critical period to explore student experiences.

Strong Start

August/September

Keeping Up

November/December

Midterm Reset

January/February

Exam Prep

March/April

Due to varying school schedules and contexts, the exact timing of the critical periods will differ by school and even by class. The months provided are a guide for where teachers should be looking for experiences based on time of year. Experiences marked with “ Students Shared” were generated directly from conversations with students about what supports their success in AP.

Exam Prep

Students report high levels of anxiety during this time and are likely to be at different levels of mastery regarding content and test preparedness. Providing differentiated support, teaching anxiety management, and explicitly preparing students for the AP® exam will help them stay engaged and feel confident in their choice to take both the class and the AP exam.

Explore each experience by clicking on it.

Mindsets

Help students develop a positive mindset about the AP exam

Help students connect the AP exam to real life

Manage and minimize test anxiety

Help students identify their own strengths/weaknesses for the AP exam

Remind students of AP exam benefits

Student Voice & Agency

Help students set performance goals and expectations for AP exam

Work with students to set goals around AP exam preparation

Assign students to lead discussions around test-taking and test preparation strategies

Allow students to determine the pacing and content of review

Students Shared

Provide differentiated options for in-class review so students can choose to focus where they’re feeling weakest

Students Shared

Classroom Community & Culture

Leverage community partnerships to provide additional support to students

Provide panel of former AP students (current college students) to discuss AP reflections and provide advice

Create a “team approach” to test day (team spirit/all working together)

Ensure a calm classroom tone to reduce stress and feeling of “scrambling” at end of course

Students Shared

Communicate with parents about upcoming exam, ways to support, and stress management

Students Shared

AP Skill Building

Explicitly teach test-taking strategies and provide plentiful opportunities to practice

Help students build stamina and plan for the 3 hour AP exam

Ensure all barriers to sitting for the AP exam are removed

Continue to create comfort and familiarity with the AP exam format

Provide enrichment/”exhale” opportunities right before the AP exam

Begin previewing college experiences, providing direct ties for students from AP learning to college experiences
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Feedback & Grading

Work with students to identify strengths/weaknesses from year of AP learning

Help students identify how they have grown during their AP learning and celebrate that growth

Assign students to provide feedback to each other on mock exam questions as a form of exam prep

Provide very specific feedback so students have a clear idea of areas of focus for exam prep

Students Shared

Conduct 1:1 check ins to hear how students feel about the test, highlight stressors, and identify areas where they need support

Students Shared

Download a printable On-Track Framework.

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Looking for concrete ways to bring the On-Track experiences to students?

Each experience links to multiple classroom strategies contained within the “Classroom Strategies for AP Success” bank. This menu of strategies is meant to help teachers, counselors, coaches and administrators support the learning experience of historically underserved students in Advanced Placement® classes equitably. It includes strategies that address the academic and non-academic skills of students as well as strategies to modify instruction.

View Classroom Strategies for AP Success