Inflexion partnered with the College Board to address critical quality assurance challenges across AP courses worldwide. By developing a scalable, web-based document management and audit system, Inflexion helped AP standardize course quality, enhance brand integrity, and streamline the authorization process for AP teachers and schools. Over the 20-year partnership, Inflexion has expanded the platform to include mentoring tools, teacher development features, and a virtual community to support educators at scale. The result is a robust, high-impact solution that ensures AP courses meet rigorous standards, benefiting hundreds of thousands of teachers and millions of students annually.
Client Background
The College Board is a globally recognized leader in connecting high school students to higher education opportunities through its Advanced Placement (AP) programs. Established in 1952, the AP program offers rigorous, college-level coursework across a broad range of subjects, enabling students to earn college credit and advanced placement while still in high school. Today, AP programs are a cornerstone of college readiness, serving millions of students across thousands of schools globally.
The Challenge
By 2004, the College Board faced concerns from colleges and universities about the inconsistent quality and delivery of AP courses, threatening the program’s credibility and brand integrity. Schools independently determined course content without centralized oversight, leading to concerns about quality from both colleges and AP leadership. AP’s reputation and brand integrity were at risk, as stakeholders increasingly questioned the rigor and reliability of AP courses. Given the scale of the program, with thousands of AP teachers and schools involved, the challenge required a sophisticated, efficient solution to standardize and manage quality at a global level.
The Solution
Inflexion partnered with the College Board to develop an innovative web-based document management and audit platform. This custom-built system streamlined the submission, review, and approval process for AP courses worldwide. Key features of the solution included:
- Web-Based Submission Portal: AP teachers and school administrators submitted course materials, such as syllabi and supporting documents, online.
- Dynamic Document Routing: Inflexion built a smart document management system to route materials to various experts for review based on pre-set criteria.
- Centralized Platform: The portal became a one-stop resource for AP teachers, facilitating material submission, feedback collection, and course authorization.
- Annual Audit Integration: Inflexion recommended ongoing audits to maintain brand integrity, ensuring all AP courses consistently met quality standards.
Over the years, the platform has evolved to include additional tools such as mentoring systems for new AP teachers, Zoom integration for workshops, and a virtual community portal for educators.
Implementation
Initially launched as a one-time audit project, Inflexion’s innovative approach shifted the process online, replacing manual, paper-based submissions. The project required close collaboration between Inflexion and the College Board to ensure simplicity, reliability, and efficiency at scale. While stakeholders were initially skeptical about transitioning to a tech-based solution, Inflexion’s focus on building high-quality tools that were user-friendly and dependable won their trust.
The solution was implemented with:
- Rapid deployment timelines to meet high-stakes deadlines for schools and teachers.
- Scalable infrastructure to support hundreds of thousands of users and millions of submissions.
- Continuous updates to incorporate new features, such as teacher mentoring and community-building tools, in response to evolving needs (e.g., 2020 virtual workshops).
Results
Inflexion’s solution delivered measurable success at scale. Inflexion’s platform has enabled the authorization of 250,000 teachers annually to teach AP courses, ensuring consistent quality and reliability across the program. Each year, millions of feedback letters and course materials are processed efficiently, significantly reducing administrative burden for schools and teachers while accelerating authorization timelines. Over the course of a 20-year partnership, the AP College Board has expanded access to AP programs by adding numerous new subjects and improving program scalability. The platform has also evolved to include innovative tools, such as teacher mentoring systems, project-based learning training modules, and collaborative community resources, addressing the evolving needs of AP educators. As a result, AP courses now consistently meet rigorous standards, preserving the program’s brand integrity while increasing teacher satisfaction and improving student test score performance.
Ready to bring clarity, efficiency, and quality assurance to your large-scale initiative? Contact Inflexion today to discover how our custom-built technology solutions can power your programs and drive meaningful results.
Ready to bring clarity, efficiency, and quality assurance to your large-scale initiative? Contact Inflexion today to discover how our custom-built technology solutions can power your programs and drive meaningful results.
