An open letter to the College Board about online, at-home AP tests

With high school students across the country working from home since the coronavirus crisis forced the closure of schools, the College Board is going ahead with administering tests in the Advanced Placement program — online, shortened exams that children can take from their bedrooms.

But the decision to go ahead with AP tests has drawn concerns from skeptics, who say it won’t be fair to students who have no computer, access to Internet or quiet work spaces from which to study and work, or to students with disabilities who do not have appropriate accommodations — challenges the College Board has acknowledged. Issues about test security have been raised, as well, with critics saying there is no foolproof way to ensure students aren’t cheating.