What happens when the tests no longer reflect the education? In this episode, Davies Owens sits down with Sarah Novlan, Chief Academic Officer at Hill Country Christian School and a doctoral candidate studying the Harkness Seminar model, to explore why the once-revered AP program is falling short in today’s classical Christian schools. Together, they unpack the misalignment between AP coursework and the mission of classical education, the challenges of teaching to a test, and the dumbing down of rigor and content, especially in the humanities.
Sarah shares her own journey from AP instructor to advocate for better assessments and introduces CLT’s new Enduring Courses, an emerging alternative that honors intellectual virtue, great books, and oral expression. If you’ve ever wondered whether AP or dual credit is still the right path – or what better options may be on the horizon – this conversation is a must.
🎧 Join us to discover:
- Why more classical schools are rethinking AP courses
- How assessments shape teaching and mission
- What makes CLT’s Enduring Courses a game-changing alternative
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I grew up in Arlington, lived in Austin for four years, and then I moved to South America after graduating college. I studied English and education at The University of Texas. I also received my Master of Education in Gifted and Talented Education from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and am currently working on my doctorate at Abilene Christian University.
After college, I taught for eight years at other private schools. I also worked for a short time as an editor and writer for two educational publishing companies. I joined the Hill Country faculty in 2016.
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