UConn’s English 1010/1011 writing seminars and Advanced Placement courses have some
common ground but can vary significantly in terms of assumptions, goals, and practices. For
example, whereas AP courses (at the administrative level) could be said to prioritize testable
knowledge, UConn FYW courses begin with the expectation that successful student writing will
advance and in ways transform the terms and effects of the class conversation. FYW courses are
intended to provide students with experience as academic writers, and they therefore emphasize
the collaborative and interactive qualities of academic inquiry. The circulation of student work
and the continued reflection on and revision of this work is essential in FYW courses.

Despite differences, at many sites Advanced Placement courses are merged with UConn FYW
courses. And many crafty teachers find ways to bring the two worlds together in meaningful
ways. What follows is a policy supporting the productive coexistence of ECE and AP courses.
We welcome any feedback or suggestions for revision.

1. ECE and AP can co-exist in the same course.
2. They should do so openly, with AP elements included on ECE syllabi.
3. Because of the much greater amount of class time in most high school classes (compared to on
   campus courses), what is important is that ECE goals are met, not that every day or
   hour is spent on ECE activity. That is, AP activity may complement ECE. But even
   when it does not, it need not be prohibited.
4. AP work can support ECE work in a number of specific ways. For example, AP Literature
   work can provide practice with close reading and analysis of texts, tools that are
   essential, too, in ECE courses. AP Language work can provide rhetorical frameworks
   and terms that can be helpful for student writers (although FYW courses rarely posit a
   completely stable or universal rhetorical schema).
5. ECE/FYW courses depend on the development and revision of four to six major writing
   projects, with attention, too, on the Information Literacy, Reflective Writing, and Multimodal
   components. As long as these requirements are met, the course can have additional
   elements, including various AP activities.

There are of course some significant differences between AP and ECE, and these differences
need to be acknowledged (and understood) by teachers, students, and ECE administrators. If you
feel that for whatever reason your AP and ECE elements are in tension, let us know. We can
work with you to develop some plans for addressing AP and ECE coexistence.