College Board, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge Updates - COVID-19

North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 04/06/2020 04:37 PM EDT

Public Schools of North Carolina

April 6, 2020

Dear AP/IB/CIE Coordinators,

Thank you so much for your vigilance in keeping up with updates, as I know that you and your teachers are likely receiving these same updates from College Board, International Baccalaureate Organization, and Cambridge International. Thank you also for all you are experiencing to learn this new way of doing things, to problem solve, and to communicate on behalf of our students in North Carolina.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any question or concern you may have. I am here to support and advocate for you.  Beth Cross, NCDPI State Consultant, Advanced Learning and Gifted Education

Updates from International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)

The FAQ site is updated periodically. Some of the most recent updates are:

  • The eCoursework site is open as of April 2 for schools to continue uploading student work
  • Further guidance for group 6 (arts) coursework is published to the FAQ site.  
  • An additional resource was posted to the IB’s Covid-19 FAQ:  Changes to internal assessment for May 2020 DP/CP candidates.  If you had previously received this document from a social media source, please delete that version and replace it with the official version that is posted on the site.
  • The deadline of April 20 (or April 30 for some arts coursework) is preferred for all schools to upload their work to ensure results by July 5.
  • Schools can request extensions for individual components or subjects directly with the IBO by emailing IB Answers on support@ibo.org to request an extension. Please note that results cannot be guaranteed on the 5 July 2020 where extensions are given, which may result in a pending (P) grade on results release day.
  • The MYP Personal Project deadline is extended to May 20.
  • As always, please send any further IBO-specific questions to support@ibo.org and copy Laura Lane on the email.

Update from College Board-Advanced Placement (AP)

A great resource for learning about this year’s AP exams is Trevor Packer's presentation. I listened to most of it myself, and you’ll note included in the presentation are not only details as you see in the summary below, but also rationale for exam content.

Exam Dates

  • Exams will be given from May 11-22.
  • Makeup test dates will be available for each subject from June 1-5.
  • Students can take exams at home or in schools, if they reopen.
  • Each subject’s exam will be taken on the same day at the same time, worldwide.
  • View the full testing schedule.
  • Coordinators can register for live training on April 10 to learn more about exams.

Exam Format

  • Most exams will have one or two free-response questions, and each question will be timed separately. Students will need to write and submit their responses within the allotted time for each question.
  • Students will be able to take exams on any device to which they have access- computer, tablet, or smartphone. They’ll be able to type and upload their responses or write responses by hand and submit a photo via their cell phones.
  • For most subjects, the exams will be 45 minutes long, plus an additional 5 minutes for uploading. Students will need to access the online testing system 30 minutes early to get set up.
  • Certain courses, such as Art and Design: 2D; Art and Design: 3D; Computer Science Principles; Drawing; Research; and Seminar, will use portfolio submissions and will not have a separate online exam. All deadlines for these submissions have been extended to May 26, 2020, 11:59 pm ET. Teachers and students may receive separate course-specific communications.
  • Students taking world language and culture exams will complete two spoken tasks consistent with free-response questions 3 and 4 on the current AP Exam. Written responses will not be required. College Board will provide additional details in the coming weeks to help students prepare.
  • Note: There may be some differences for world languages and courses that require portfolio submissions. Check the College Board website for more information.

Confronting the Digital Divide

College Board recognizes that the digital divide could prevent some low-income and rural student from participating. Working with partners, they are investing so these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If your students need mobile tools or connectivity, you can contact College Board directly to let them know by April 24. Tips for testing on specific devices will be available in late April.

Remote Instruction and Practice

On March 25, College Board began offering free live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. The courses have been viewed more than 3.2 million times since they became available. On-demand lessons are now available for Art and Design, AP Capstone, and Computer Science Principles.

College Board has also unlocked secure free-response questions in AP Classroom so teachers can digitally assign relevant practice questions students can take at home. Additional tips for helping your student practice are available.

Here’s a quick list of helpful links:

For additional information, please visit College Board’s Coronavirus Updates page and their Frequently Asked Questions page.

Update from Cambridge International Education (CIE)

The process Cambridge will use to provide grades for students will be a collaborative one with schools.The decision on grades to be awarded to candidates will be made by Cambridge, using their own evidence combined with evidence from schools. Their approach will be to ask schools to collaborate with them as they make evidence-based decisions about grades for each candidate in each subject they have entered for in the May/June 2020 exam series for Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS & A Level and Cambridge Pre-U.

They are now asking schools to consider what evidence they will be able to gather to support these decisions. The evidence should consist of examples of work candidates have done to prepare for their May/ June 2020 exams.

The types of evidence that might be available could include but will not be limited to:

  • mock exams
  • coursework (complete or incomplete)
  • assignments
  • AS Level results for ‘staged-route’ A Level candidates
  • grades in previous sittings for candidates re-taking exams.

Updates and FAQs for Cambridge schools:  https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/covid/

Further details will be sent directly to schools on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

Thank you for everything you are doing to ensure learning continues for our students in North Carolina's Public Schools!