The AP Computer Science Principles Exam: Teacher Reflections

While AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) has made great strides in increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities (URM) taking an AP Computer Science course, the percentage of women and URM passing the AP CSP Exam remains lower than that of non-minority males. The AP CSP Exam consists of two performance-based tasks, create and explore, in addition to a multiple-choice section. We conducted one-on-one interviews with Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) Master Teachers to find what they like about the exam, what they do not like, and potential barriers to passing. The teachers mentioned preparedness, including test taking skills, and motivation, specifically to complete the tasks, as reasons for their students' performance on the AP Exam. Community mindset was mentioned as a possible reason for lack of motivation and engagement. Some potential barriers to passing, expressed by teachers, are access to technology, job obligations, and languages in which the AP Exam is offered. Although the create task was well liked by the teachers, some thought the scoring could be improved. In addition, teachers detail how their own assessments compare to the AP CSP Exam, with the majority using programming projects as their main way to assess for student understanding. Half of the teachers cited the amount of time for performance tasks and multiple-choice questions as components of the exam they would change. These findings provide insight into AP CSP Exam performance, teacher suggestions for exam improvements, and details on CS classroom assessments.