Learning in the Fast Lane: The Past, Present, and Future of Advanced Placement

by Chester E. Finn Jr., Andrew E. Scanlan

Overview

The first book to tell the story of the Advanced Placement program—the gold standard for academic rigor in U.S. high schools and beyond

The Advanced Placement program stands as the foremost source of college-level academics for millions of high school students in the United States and beyond. More than 22,000 schools now participate in it, across nearly forty subjects, from Latin and art to calculus and computer science. Yet remarkably little has been known about how this nongovernmental program became one of the greatest success stories in K–12 education—until now. In Learning in the Fast Lane, Chester Finn and Andrew Scanlan, two of America’s most respected education analysts, offer a groundbreaking account of one of the most important educational initiatives of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691216911
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chester E. Finn, Jr., is a distinguished senior fellow and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. His books include Exam Schools: Inside America's Most Selective Public High Schools (Princeton). Andrew E. Scanlan was formerly a research and policy associate at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Part I Brief History 7

1 Early Days 9

2 Poor Kids Advance, Too 21

3 Growth Industry 32

Part II On the Ground in 2018 51

4 The Lone Star Challenge 53

5 Growing AP in Gotham 72

6 In Suburbia 94

7 Advancing Charter Schools 115

Part III Challenges and Opportunities 129

8 Competition Stiffens 131

9 Does Platinum Bend? Standards under Stress 155

10 Elite Dropouts 170

11 Advanced Placement Fights the Culture Wars 188

Part IV Looking Ahead 207

12 Making a Difference 209

Appendix I Cui Bono? Weighing the Benefits of Advanced Placement and Dual Credit 233

Appendix II Additional Data 253

Index 263

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The most comprehensive book ever on Advanced Placement, the most powerful educational tool in the country. . . . [Finn and Scanlan] add so much to a subject crucial to the future of high schools.”—Jay Mathews, Washington Post

“A fascinating read. . . . Engaging and well researched.”—Choice

“While ample research has sought to understand the benefits of AP participation and success, Learning in the Fast Lane puts that research into context, situating the program amid other education reform efforts and comparing it to alternatives. This is insightful scholarship.”—Martin R. West, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Editorial Reviews

"The most comprehensive book ever on Advanced Placement, the most powerful educational tool in the country. . . . [Finn and Scanlan] add so much to a subject crucial to the future of high schools."—-Jay Mathews, Washington Post

"Both a history and full-throated defense of the Advanced Placement program."—-Jason L. Riley, Wall Street Journal

"A fascinating read. . . . Engaging and well researched."—-W. S. Miner, Choice

From the Publisher