Advanced Placement, International Baccaluareate, and Dual Enrollment courses are commonplace today's secondary schools.  Academically gifted students are invited, sometimes pressured into, taking these types of courses.  These courses are designed to challenge students and to prepare them for college-style classes.  Often, students who take these classes are exempt from entry-level, 101 required classes once they begin college. Traditionally, these courses have been offered to the academically talented students only.  In fact, there have been rules and regulations in place to prevent the average student from being able to register.  These courses have been viewed as elite.  These students have been viewed as elite, priviledged, and smarter than most. But Washington Post columnist, Jay Matthews, questions whether the average student could excel if invited to attend.  The rational says that perhaps the reason these students are only performing on the average level is because they have not been challenged.  Matthews suggests, and I tend to agree, that by allowing the average student to attempt a more challenging class one may create the opportunity for success.   Of course, some would argue that the quality of instruction will be effected as the instructor attempts to accomodate all learners, but the benefit to the larger group is worth any incidental changes that may occur.