Last month, Thomas Friedman reported on College Board’s commitment to emphasizing the most empowering content areas and skills in the vast array of coursework and testing that they develop. According to David Coleman (Chief Operating Officer) and Stefanie Sanford (Chief of Global Policy and External Relations), for the last few years College Board has focused on two crucial codes: the U.S. Constitution and computer science.
What is behind this focus and what does this mean for students? The College Board executives explain it pretty well: “If you want to be an empowered citizen in our democracy—able to not only navigate society and its institutions but also to improve and shape them, and not just be shaped by them—you need to know how the code of the U.S. Constitution works. And if you want to be an empowered and adaptive worker or artist or writer or scientist or teacher—and be able to shape the world around you, and not just be shaped by it—you need to know how computers work and how to shape them.”
The first code, that enshrined by the U.S. Constitution into legal code, is crucial as it applies to all of us and dictates the way society is run. Furthermore, the lively debate and differing readings of the same document offer intellectual challenge and opportunity for students of the law and of history. Our history and social science experts are here to support students who are making their first foray into the workings of legal and government systems in classes like AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government, or AP Economics.
The second code, the kind used by computer scientists, has broad and growing applications in technological and non-technological industries alike. It is clear to us in the Bay Area how computer science has gained a key role in California, the United States, and around the globe as tech companies grow in power and importance. Our AP Computer Science wizards can give students a leg up on some of the most cutting-edge and challenging skills and curricula offered at Bay Area schools. Whether it’s to support with a tough class or learn a new programming language over the summer, AJ Tutoring can help.
As part of College Board focus, the SAT itself often features an excerpt from a founding document or other form of political writing or speech. Thus, paying attention in AP US History or AP US Government can pay off on the SAT, not just the AP exams! Our SAT experts can also help explain the most important comprehension strategies, which aid in breaking down dense language quickly and efficiently.
Please reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help your student master the most important codes for success in today’s world!
