Blog Articles

Confronting the Audit Demon

Confronting the Audit Demon

Simply stated, the new audit process is a ton of work. As one of the auditors, I've reviewed nearly one hundred submissions since the program began. I would like to...

Confronting the Audit Demon

Simply stated, the new audit process is a ton of work. As one of the auditors, I've reviewed nearly one hundred submissions since the program began. I would like to offer several observations about the process and tips to help you avoid some common omissions.

Confronting the Audit Demon

Confronting the Audit Demon

Picking up where I left off in Part 1, I offer you several more "pain points" in the audit process and my advice on how best to handle them.

Confronting the Audit Demon

Picking up where I left off in Part 1, I offer you several more "pain points" in the audit process and my advice on how best to handle them.

Did the College Board Let APUSH Teachers Down This Year?

Did the College Board Let APUSH Teachers Down T...

I've decided to devote this entry to acknowledging the lack of support extended to teachers and validate the challenges they are facing. I'm also writing about it to remind teachers,...

Did the College Board Let APUSH Teachers Down This Year?

I've decided to devote this entry to acknowledging the lack of support extended to teachers and validate the challenges they are facing. I'm also writing about it to remind teachers, students, and parents that despite the many unknowns, there is a silver lining that we can all cling to, united. 

The New Rubrics: Test Prep vs. College Prep

The New Rubrics: Test Prep vs. College Prep

The newly-revised writing rubrics for the Long Essay Questions (LEQs) and the Document-Based Questions (DBQs) have raised many concerns and caused not a small amount of anxiety among AP U.S....

The New Rubrics: Test Prep vs. College Prep

The newly-revised writing rubrics for the Long Essay Questions (LEQs) and the Document-Based Questions (DBQs) have raised many concerns and caused not a small amount of anxiety among AP U.S. History teachers these last few months. Every teacher aims for the best for his or her students and wants to instruct them in a way that will maximize their performance on the new 2015 exam. With this as motivation, instructors have expressed deep concern around how to help their students earn the synthesis point in their essays.

The New DBQ Rubric: A Step in the Right Direction

The New DBQ Rubric: A Step in the Right Direction

In July, the College Board released a number of revisions to the new course guidelines, including a new DBQ rubric. The changes to the DBQ rubric certainly help to cut...

The New DBQ Rubric: A Step in the Right Direction

In July, the College Board released a number of revisions to the new course guidelines, including a new DBQ rubric. The changes to the DBQ rubric certainly help to cut through the fog, but there is a downside for teachers. 

Giving Synthesis Another Shot

Giving Synthesis Another Shot

Having just returned from the AP U.S. History exam reading in Tampa, I have new concerns about the latest iteration of the LEQ and DBQ scoring rubrics—as did most, if...

Giving Synthesis Another Shot

Having just returned from the AP U.S. History exam reading in Tampa, I have new concerns about the latest iteration of the LEQ and DBQ scoring rubrics—as did most, if not all, of the readers I spoke with over the week.

Recently Added Blog Posts

Ask an Expert, Part 3 – Earning the Complexity Point through a Counterargument, An Example

Ask an Expert, Part 3 – Earning the Complexity ...

May 03, 2021

Tony walks us through an example for using a counterargument to earn the Complexity point in a Long-Essay Question response. 

May 03, 2021

Ask an Expert, Part 3 – Earning the Complexity Point through a Counterargument, An Example

Tony walks us through an example for using a counterargument to earn the Complexity point in a Long-Essay Question response. 

Ask an Expert, Part 2 – 4 Ways for Earning the Complexity Point

Ask an Expert, Part 2 – 4 Ways for Earning the ...

May 02, 2021

Tony Maccarella is at it again, this time with 4 methods students should know for earning the elusive Complexity point on the AP World History Modern and AP Euro exams.

May 02, 2021

Ask an Expert, Part 2 – 4 Ways for Earning the Complexity Point

Tony Maccarella is at it again, this time with 4 methods students should know for earning the elusive Complexity point on the AP World History Modern and AP Euro exams.

Ask an Expert, Part 1 - Best way to earn the CONTEXTUALIZATION point

Ask an Expert, Part 1 - Best way to earn the CO...

May 01, 2021

In Part 1 of our “Ask an Expert” series for AP World History Modern, author Tony Maccarella explains the best way to earn the Contextualization point on your AP Exam...

May 01, 2021

Ask an Expert, Part 1 - Best way to earn the CONTEXTUALIZATION point

In Part 1 of our “Ask an Expert” series for AP World History Modern, author Tony Maccarella explains the best way to earn the Contextualization point on your AP Exam essays.