Curriculum Planning & AP Course Design Flashcards
7 cards from real AP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Curriculum Planning & AP Course Design flashcards as text
What does 'backward design' mean in the context of AP course planning?
Answer: Starting planning with the desired exam outcomes and working backward to design instruction
Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) begins with the end goal—AP exam performance and enduring understandings—and plans instruction to reach those goals.
Which practice best promotes equity and access in AP course design?
Answer: Providing structured support and open enrollment policies that encourage underrepresented students to enroll
Open enrollment with structured support expands access to AP's benefits for all students, aligning with College Board equity initiatives.
When using AP Classroom's 'Personal Progress Checks,' what is the primary instructional purpose?
Answer: Providing students and teachers with real-time data on mastery of specific learning objectives
Personal Progress Checks offer formative data tied to specific AP learning objectives, enabling teachers to identify and address gaps in understanding.
A new AP teacher is designing a course scope and sequence. Which starting point is most appropriate?
Answer: The College Board's AP Course and Exam Description and unit guides
The CED and unit guides are the authoritative framework for AP course design, ensuring the syllabus will pass audit review and cover required content.
In AP curriculum planning, what is the function of 'learning objectives'?
Answer: They specify what students should be able to do as a result of instruction, tied to exam skills
Learning objectives in AP CEDs articulate the specific, measurable student performances that assessments—including the AP exam—will measure.
Which type of assessment is MOST aligned with the College Board's emphasis on 'applying knowledge in context'?
Answer: Scenario-based tasks requiring students to apply course concepts to novel situations
AP exams consistently require students to apply conceptual understanding to new contexts, so scenario-based practice builds this transferable skill.
When a teacher reviews the AP exam data report for their students after score release, what is the most productive use of this information?
Answer: Analyzing question-type performance to revise curriculum emphasis and instructional strategies for the following year
Exam data reveals which skills and content areas students struggled with, enabling targeted curriculum revisions that improve future cohort performance.