A Stronger Correlation: Student Success and Two-Semester AP Stats
Emma Suneja
AP Statistics is one of the many AP courses that the administration is considering condensing from a two semester class to a one semester course. While there may be some benefits to this change, I decided to ask the people who are going to be affected the most by this change: the students. A survey was sent out to 35 students currently at Hamilton who have taken AP Statistics in the past and few alumni. I received 26 responses that highlight part of the student opinion on this change.
Survey Questions and Responses
I asked students, “How fast do you believe your teacher taught?” Across the 26 responses:
57.7% of students answered that the class was taught at a good pace
26.9% of students said it was a good pace but a little fast at times
11.5% said slow, spent too much time on some topics
3.8% said very fast, sometimes hard to keep up
The variation is likely due to the fact that students learn differently. No one style of teaching is going to cater to how each student learns because each student has a different learning style. This, however, does not negate the fact that most students said the class was taught at a good pace over the two semesters.
Students were also asked if they believed two semesters was an appropriate timeframe to learn all the concepts, which was unanimously agreed upon. Students expressed that two semesters was the right amount of time for all of the course material and it helped prepare them adequately for the AP test in the spring.
When asked to explain their answers to the two previous questions, the responses are clear that students have strong opinions to back up their opinions as to why AP Statistics should remain a two semester course.
“Two semesters allowed for the best understanding of the class. I got a 5 on the exam because I knew the topics well because the class was at a good pace.”
“I think it [two semesters] gave us enough time, as there were rarely any nights without a homework assignment to do, and every day we had a different lesson.”
“I feel like two semesters was the right amount of time. I don't think it is possible to fit 9 units into one semester, especially since some units are so long. Two semesters allows for students to gain a deep understanding of the topics without feeling overwhelmed.”
“I think that two semesters was the perfect amount of time to learn all of the content. In my opinion if AP Statistics was shortened I don’t think we would have gotten through all of the content, and if we did, I don’t think every student or even most students would be able to understand the content. My sister, who went to Tosa West, took AP statistics as well. At her school they didn’t do block scheduling so while her class spanned an entire year the amount of time she got to spend in class learning was about equivalent to one semester at Hamilton. While I was taking AP Statistics she told me how she struggled throughout the class and on the AP test because her class wasn’t able to learn as much content and go into depth on some of the topics. If Hamilton switched AP statistics to one semester, I believe that AP test scores would ultimately drop because students wouldn’t be as prepared for the test.”
AP Statistics is an Introductory AP Class
Many students who take AP Statistics are taking this class as their first AP class which means they aren’t accustomed to the rigor of typical AP courses. Due to this, AP Statistics should remain a two semester course because it gives students the ability to ease into the demand of AP courses.
When students who filled out the form were given the opportunity to voice other opinions that weren’t directly asked about, some brought up this exact reason as to why AP Statistics should remain a two semester course. Some of those responses are:
“I disagree with this change, I believe AP Stats is a good introductory level AP and stats class. I think it should be accessible to less rigorous students, not just people looking to take all of the AP’s and cram their classes.”
“I think it is almost unfair to cut the class down to one semester. It would disadvantage the students and make the class exceptionally harder, something we don't need as it can already be challenging.”
AP Statistics is the only other advanced math course that Hamilton offers for students who don’t want to go down the Pre-Calc to Calc path. Lots of students take AP Statistics because it is advertised to be a manageable AP math class that will be useful for a multitude of desired career paths. Changing the curriculum to a one semester course would leave so many students behind.
Hamilton’s Impressive Pass Rate
In an article posted to the Hamilton website on September 3rd, 2025, Mr. Bauer is asked to comment on the new high of AP test scores among Hamilton students. Hamilton High School had a 94.4% pass rate on AP Exams. 608 students took an AP exam this past spring, but 995 total exams were administered, accounting for students who took more than one AP exam. Mr. Bauer is quoted in this article saying, “Really impressive results from our students,” and “I also want to give a shout out to all our AP teachers for their efforts to prepare students for their AP exams! A lot to be proud of as staff of these students.” This then begs the question, why would Hamilton want to change the format of our AP classes when we have such an impressive pass rate? What is the main reason for condensing so many AP classes?
The College Board released the score distribution of passing scores from the 2025 testing season. The pass rate (getting a score of a 3 or higher and earning college credit) nationwide for AP Statistics was 60%. The Hamilton passing rate was 90.3%. This extreme difference between the nationwide average and Hamilton’s average is something we should be proud of and is a testament of the credibility of our teachers. Our teachers clearly know what they are doing and their scores reflect that. So, if our teachers, the ones teaching the class, and our students, the ones earning these high scores, are the ones telling the administration that this change shouldn’t happen, shouldn’t we take those opinions into account?
Conclusion
The overwhelming message from the students surveyed who have taken this class has been that making AP Statistics a one semester class is a bad idea. Students who have recently taken the course and are intimately familiar with the course material believe condensing the class to one semester would be detrimental to students. Two quotes written in the survey really hit home with this topic and I believe are a good message to let sink in.
“I would like to say that if teachers had required ‘office hours’ that are the same as college professor the transition between having one semester to two semester would be easier, but due to the structure of high school and the fact that our staff has 7-8 hour days then have after teaching work to do that would be hard to manage on time of having their own lives. I think that we as students and those that aren't teachers often forget that our teachers have their own lives, and often work another job that would not accommodate what office hours would need. The two semester structure works for students, and allows them to succeed. I also believe that our staff is already overworked through what is demanded of them, and their passion for teaching appears to be what is keeping them in the field. The situation of whether we should change the AP class length often reminds me of the saying ‘why fix what isn't broken.’”
“I have recently heard that there are multiple two-semester AP classes being considered for condensing into a single semester. I have also heard that teachers are being consulted on this important matter, but that the final decision does not lie with them. Teachers are experts in their classes. After all, they pore over the material, create the lesson plans, teach every student what they need to know, and answer questions to prepare them for tests. For AP classes, it is especially important that teachers cover all the material they need to with adequate detail and rigor so that students will be ready for the exams come May. I would suggest that the administration strongly consider teachers’ opinions and evaluations on the ramifications of shortening their time for teaching these AP classes. Additionally, I believe it could be beneficial to get input from people who have taken these classes. A student who has recently completed a two-semester AP class would certainly be able to effectively evaluate whether or not shortening it to one semester would be prudent. I believe that getting feedback from teachers and the general student body is the most effective way to gauge the likely success of potential policy or curriculum changes. Even if you disagree with the absoluteness of my claim, I hope that you would at least be willing to take feedback from students—and especially teachers—into heavy consideration.”
In the case of AP Statistics, this survey and my conversations have revealed that the ones who will be affected most by these changes are the loudest voices against it. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
