WE STRONGLY BELIEVE that the Blake High School administration is making it too tough for students to drop AP classes second semester. We recognize that the school would like to keep and possibly exceed its high score in the Washington Post Challenge Index, but in the end, it is the students’ decision whether or not they would like to continue with the class.

For those of you who don’t know, the Washington Post Challenge index is a yearly ranking based on a simple formula: the amount of AP tests administered by a school divided by its number of graduating seniors. This index is widely read and has come to be seen as a litmus test for the academic strength of all schools in the area. The school can easily increase its score by making sure that as many students as possible take AP tests. It is a noble goal to encourage students to challenge themselves by taking AP courses and it is a policy that the school should continue to practice.

However, the school has resorted to preventing students from leaving AP courses in order to keep its Challenge ranking high. The current policy is that any student who wishes to switch out of an AP class must have their transfer personally approved by Mrs. Goodman. In some limited cases, seniors have, without explanation, been prevented from switching out of elective AP classes for the second semester. We believe that it is the student’s decision whether or not to stay in an AP class, especially if that class is an elective. If students decide that a course is not for them, they should be able to make the decision to switch out. The administration should not let an arbitrary ranking dissuade them from best helping their students.