How to become an AP® Reader
One of the best ways to master your understanding of the AP® Art and Design Portfolio is to become an AP® Reader. This opportunity is one of the most valuable professional development experiences available for AP® Art and Design teachers (and you can even earn PD Credit for salary advancement!). The application process is pretty straightforward. All applicants must submit a current resume and teaching syllabus or a course audit approved letter from the College Board. Additionally, uploading JPEG images of your artwork along with your syllabus and resume is highly recommended.
To apply to be an AP® Reader—> CLICK HERE
Not only is being an AP® Reader an excellent professional development opportunity, but you also get paid! Airfare, hotel, and meals are all covered. This year, the reading for AP® Art & Design was in beautiful Salt Lake City! It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded art educators and explore a new place.
Training and Resources Available
As an AP® Art and Design teacher with over eight years of experience, I understand that navigating the AP® Central College board Website can be challenging. If your district doesn’t cover the cost for AP® Summer Institutes or AP® Workshops, educators often have to find alternative means for training. Fortunately, there are some free resources available for AP® teachers: Teacher Webinars, AP® Communities, and AP® Mentoring. Once you are an AP® Art & Design teacher, you will also have access to the AP® Classroom where you can watch AP® Daily Videos.
What is the AP® Portfolio About?
Before starting the school year, it’s crucial to review the AP® Art and Design Course Exam Description. Planning accordingly and mapping out a pacing guide or utilize a teacher planner can help meet the May deadline.
The AP® Art and Design test consists of three portfolios: AP® Drawing, AP® 2D Art and Design, and AP® 3D Art and Design. Each portfolio has two sections:
- Selected Works (SW): This section is 40% of the score and consists of five images (ten with two views for 3D) of finished works showcasing advanced 2D, 3D, or drawing skills. The works should identify materials, processes, and ideas, demonstrating synthesis through visual relationships.
- Sustained Investigation (SI): This section is 60% of the score and consists of 15 images, including written evidence that identifies the inquiry guiding the SI, describes the development through practice, experimentation, and revision, and demonstrates visual relationships among materials, processes, and ideas.
Understanding AP® Art and Design terminology is crucial. The AP® Art and Design Course Exam Description includes a list of terminology to help you navigate the requirements.
How is the portfolio graded?
You learn a lot about grading the AP® Art and Design portfolio as a reader. With no prerequisite to take the course, the portfolio submissions are on the rise. This year (2024), there were 80,520 student portfolios, graded by 325 readers and 47 working remotely from home.
There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and I did ask every time to get clarification, but frankly I am still unclear on how the entire process works. So, I will explain what I do know: The grading process is intensive, with each portfolio graded twice to ensure accuracy. If there’s a discrepancy, an Early Table Leader or an Adjudicator will grade the portfolio for a third time.
The portfolio sections are graded separately, so it’s important for students to understand that the reader scoring the SI might be different from the one scoring the SW. Remind students not to reference their SI in their SW, as the readers will not understand the context.
The scoring is fast-paced. On the first day, I graded 60 SI portfolios and was told to pick up the pace. The expectation is around 20 SI portfolios per hour, which means about three minutes per portfolio. It can be disheartening to think that a student’s work is graded so quickly, but the rubric is strictly followed.
My Takeaways as Grader
By the end of the week, I was mentally drained. The subjective nature of the grading process raised questions about the fairness and consistency of the scores. Despite the rigorous training on the rubric, the fast pace and volume of portfolios can affect the grading experience.
I saw a range of portfolios, from outstanding to less impressive. The SI section often showed the most confusion about expectations. Here are some common issues I observed:
- Too much text in the images and not enough art: Keep the focus on the art. There is no time to read the text in the images.
- Small finished pieces in process photos: Ensure finished pieces are clearly visible. I recommend having a separate image for the finished work of art.
- Misunderstanding of inquiry vs. concentration or theme. According to the Rubric Terminology, an inquiry is “the intentional process of questioning to guide exploration and discovery over time.”
- Encourage students to describe their development through practice, experimentation, and revision clearly. I like to make sure my students use the words: Practice, Experimented and Revision when writing.
- Write in a way that is easy to read. Readers do not have the time to figure out the writing. Keep the writing simple and just answer the questions.
After grading over 700 SIs and 550 SWs, I noticed many recurring inquiries. These themes become trite and overused. Try to encourage your students to go deeper and avoid these topics. See the list of what I observed below. Feel free to add your own insights in the comments section of this blog.
- Emotions
- Nostalgia
- Subjugation of women
- Hearts
- Anime
- Eye balls
- Flowers
- Mental health
- Stress of school
- Macro/micro photography
- Photography from my vacation
Add to this list in the Comments!
Conclusion
At the end of the reading session, we got to view potential examples for next year and possible contenders for the AP® Art and Design Online Exhibition. This was the best part of my experience. Seeing the young talent and creativity was inspiring. Here are links to examples and exhibits:
Would I be a grader again? Right now, it’s a no, but I might change my mind in a few months. Despite the exhaustion, it was worth it. I met many art educators and gained invaluable insights that will benefit my students.
Becoming an AP® Reader is a challenging yet rewarding experience that offers deep insights into the AP® Art and Design Portfolio. It’s a professional development opportunity that I highly recommend for any AP® Art and Design teacher.
Alternative Resources for the AP® Classroom:
If all this information and College Board expectations seem overwhelming, and you are interested in a tried and true COMPLETE Year-long AP® ART and DESIGN Curriculum, CLICK HERE. This is the exact curriculum we use with our classes and we have found it to be extremely successful. Additional AP® Lessons/ Resources on our TPT:
- AP® ART and DESIGN Digital Sketchbooks: for documenting the SI process. → CLICK HERE to watch a video on how we use the AP® Digital Sketchbooks
- Mini SI Unit: 3 mini projects based on an inquiry question that allows students to practice the SI process through experimentation, practice and revision.
- Sustained Investigation Student Proposal: Through research, sketching and experimentation, students create a slideshow or video that presents their SI ideas to the class. Additionally, this student will then receive teacher and peer feedback before officially starting their Sustained Investigation projects.
- SI Process Image Templates with Examples: 5 different student examples of suitable process images and ideas of how to organize photos as collages and templates for students to make their own.
For all the above in a bundle→ CLICK HERE
Student Critique Slideshow: This critique format is perfect for sharing and receiving feedback on a MINI SI unit, or can be adapted into a progress critique on students actual SI’s.
Thank you for reading! We’d LOVE to hear from you! If you have any additional ideas, questions or comments, please feel free to reach out and/or leave feedback!