USA Today: “The College Board will soon offer AP teachers new practice questions, instructional videos and automated assessments that can give students feedback online. The testing and college-prep giant has invested $80 million into helping more students successfully prepare for the annual May exams, leaders said. But the changes coming Aug. 1 include a controversial exam registration deadline in November instead of March, and new $40 penalties for each late registrant or canceled exam.”
“Some skeptics say the new deadline could actually deter skittish students — especially those already overwhelmed in the fall by college applications or by the rigor of AP material … More than 2,700 people have signed an online petition asking the company to drop the earlier exam registration deadline and fees. They also want students to access the new exam-prep materials without having to share their personal data.”
“Trevor Packer, a former English major who’s led the AP program at the College Board since 2003, said … the fees are designed as an incentive for students to commit to taking the exams earlier in the year. Data from schools trying out the early deadline do not suggest many will sign up late and incur fees, he said. He also stressed that the company would not gain any marketable student data from the 2019 fall AP exam registration or generate any revenue from it.”
