Should APEX Courses Be Abolished or Expanded? An Opportunity to Catch up or an Easy Way Out?

Getting by in life without a high school diploma is nearly impossible. So for some students, taking an APEX class is their last hope at completing their education. APEX is a unique credit recovery program that need not be eliminated. While it is a controversial program and has some downsides, APEX is the crucial second chance that some students need. It has helped many students to get their grades up and graduate high school.There are many students who don’t do well in classes and can’t graduate from high school without a second chance. The APEX credit recovery program is a self-motivating, online program where students can make up their work at home or at school.Senior Antonio Sims says APEX is very accommodating, “APEX helped me to make up the classes that I failed.”Opponents of APEX argue that students are too isolated while working; but the isolation is advantageous in that students can focus more on their work without distraction.APEX is also a learning experience for some people. Many APEX students discover how much harder their schedule is when they have to juggle core classes and take APEX, so they learn to pass their regular classes the first time.

APEX classes can augment students learning. Some of the material students learn slips their minds; APEX offers those students a chance to relearn the material.

It is a vital resource for struggling high school students to be able to obtain the credits they need and graduate on time.

APEX is a necessary program that must be kept. If education is so critical to student success, then why take away student’s opportunity to learn?

CON:

      If you take an APEX during high school, you may be waving goodbye to a four-year university. APEX is a self-motivating, online program where students can pass the classes they’ve failed.     The APEX program is allowing students who failed classes to have a second chance at getting a credit, but at what cost?

                   Most four year universities are not accepting APEX classes on high school transcripts. The fact is the CSU system does not want to admit students who slacked off and didn’t care about their grades. They want students who struggled to achieve a higher level of academic achievement.

              Administrators should consider eliminating APEX.

      “Even though APEX helped me pass my classes, I’m kind of bummed out because I planned on going to a four-year University and now I can’t,” says sophomore Nancy Sanchez.

           APEX courses are also problematic because they are not accepted by the NCAA when it determines an athletic eligibility.

      Students from grades 9-12 that are enrolled in a San Diego Unified School District are eligible for APEX. Also students who have not passed one or both portions of the California High School Exit Examination, also known as the CAHSEE, are eligible to enroll in APEX.

             Another problem with APEX is some students say APEX classes are easier than regular core classes. Students who feel these classes are easier purposely fail their regular classes.

         APEX students have a class at school, but they also can log on at home and work from there. However, working on APEX at home is not a good idea. Students, who work at home work without supervision. They tend to slack off or procrastinate. If the students don’t complete the amount of units they were assigned then they don’t pass the class. They can also have others do their work for them.          

                Many students join APEX for their own academic salvation. Their counselors recommend them. “As a last resort, if it’s looking like they’re not going to graduate, that’s when I recommend Apex to them,” says counselor Nella Landau. 

       However, APEX is bad idea because students are isolated from other students and other teachers. They don’t get the high school experience other students get. And diplomas with APEX course on them is less meaningful than one without them.

          APEX computers also take jobs from teachers who need them during these hard budgetary times.

      APEX needs to be abolished!