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Dear AP Computer Science Teacher:
Welcome back! We hope that you are enthused by the promise of learning and student achievement that each new school year brings. Thank you for all that you do to foster rigorous yet attainable expectations for your students. Your students are fortunate to study and learn with your guidance and expertise.
We hope you find the information in this newsletter helpful. Best wishes for every success.
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AP Computer Science Updates
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Changes to AP Computer Science A
The College Board is committed to ensuring the best possible college-level academic experience for students taking AP Computer Science A. To make more explicit particular content requirements for this course, the AP Computer Science Development Committee has made the following revisions to the 2010, 2011 AP Computer Science A Course Description:
 | Addition of two-dimensional arrays to the list of standard data structures:
- Students and teachers who have been working with the GridWorld Case Study have already been exposed to the concepts of two-dimensional arrays. Students should be able to create, initialize, modify, and traverse two-dimensional arrays using the 2-D array syntax.
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| Addition of java.util.List interface:
- Students presently study the ArrayList. They will also be required to understand that ArrayList implements the java.util.List interface.
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| Addition of Java constants Integer.MIN_VALUE and Integer.MAX_VALUE:
- This will help with the reading of exam questions that presently contain comments such as <some integer value> and will reiterate that there are maximum and minimum values for integers.
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| Addition of static variables (also known as class variables):
- This concept was included in the Marine Biology Simulation Case Study and is also included in the 2010, 2011 Course Description.
- Static final variables have always been part of the Course Description.
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New Resources for Teachers
The 2009 AP Computer Science Released Exam and its corresponding packet of 10 exams will be available for purchase from the College Board Store in February 2010.
Save the Date!
Online Event: GridWorld
Presenter: Judy Hromcik; Arlington High School (TX)
February 9, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
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Online AP Score Reporting for Schools |
The College Board is actively developing an online AP score delivery system for secondary schools and districts, which could be available as early as summer 2010. With online score delivery, authorized AP teachers will have direct access to student score reports, score rosters, and AP Instructional Planning Reports. This system will deliver the same score information as the current paper reports and rosters, but in a more flexible and environmentally friendly format. Users will be able to print entire reports or only selected pages, and to save reports to a local computer. Additional information about online score reporting will be e-mailed to authorized AP teachers in advance of the system's launch.
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Annual Renewal of Authorized AP Courses
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AP teachers should ensure that previously authorized AP courses are renewed online by a school administrator for the 2009-10 school year. Teachers can check the status of their AP courses by logging into their accounts on the AP Course Audit website.
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Resources for AP Computer Science Teachers
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Visit the AP Computer Science A Exam page for sample multiple-choice questions and the 2009 free-response questions, scoring guidelines, sample student responses with scoring commentary, student performance Q&As, scoring statistics, and grade distributions.
From the College Board's online store, teachers can purchase the following materials:
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Professional Development Opportunities
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The College Board offers IACET-certified professional development in hundreds of locations across the United States and around the world. All participants in AP Computer Science workshops for experienced teachers will receive materials focused on a specific instructional theme, "Special Focus: GridWorld Case Study."
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