AP/IB Boosters - Goals and Specific Changes/Improvements Sought

This document for the 2006/2007 school year is in draft form. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Last updated August 12, 2006

Contents

Mission Statement

The goal of the AP/IB Boosters is to work with the Everett School District to develop a college preparatory curriculum. We support the Everett School District's commitment to offering Advanced Placement Courses at each high school so that each student has enough choices that he or she is taking at least one AP level course before they graduate high school. We are recommending that the district eventually implements an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program at Everett High School that is open to all interested students in the district.  We are concerned that the basic courses do not meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Without AP or IB courses the students of the Everett School District are at a competitive disadvantage, academically, compared to students from school districts that offer a more rigorous academic program. We are convinced that students in the Everett School District are as capable and motivated as students in any other school district.

The AP/IB Boosters are for higher standards and academic excellence. We invite parents, students, teachers and administrators to join us in this endeavor.

Goals


  1. Teacher Quality: All teachers should be highly qualified and highly effective in teaching the subjects they are assigned. High school teachers should be experts in their fields - preferably with a masters or doctorate in their subject areas. All teachers should have both Washington State Certification and Endorsements in the subjects they are teaching. All teachers should be encouraged to have obtained, or to be actively seeking, National Board Certification. The quality of teachers is the single most important factor to improve student learning - more important than class size, school size, technology gadgets, curriculum, and all other often discussed topics.
  2. World Languages: Our high schools do not offer any Asian Language courses. They should offer one or more of the following - Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Farsi, and/or Arabic. World Language courses should start in our elementary schools. This is part of our focus on an International Education.
  3. Course Syllabi: Parents should be able to see a detailed course syllabus and weekly homework assignments both written and online for all high school and middle school courses. AP course syllabi should receive thorough review and district approval to verify compliance with the College Board's guidelines. AP exams (the real one or a free mock one administered by the district) should be required for students to receive the AP designation on their transcript. Starting in 2007, the College Board will finally require this for schools to be able to legally use the AP label.
  4. Modified 6 Period Day Schedule: The high schools should adopt a Modified 6 Period Day schedule similar to the top schools in Washington State. Science courses especially need a lab period 1 day a week. Other subjects could also benefit from an  extended time 1 day a week. This type of schedule will help students adjust to similar schedules in college.
  5. Comparative Religion: The high schools should offer a course on the study of the major religions in the world. Religions studied might include primitive/ancient religious ideas, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. This is also part of our focus on an International Education. Two of the top Washington State high schools (Lakeside, Newport) offer this popular relevant course. We are lobbying the College Board to create an AP Comparative Religion course.
  6. Middle School Improvement: Vertical teams (English, math, science) should be started and enhanced between the high school and middle school teachers. Pre-AP courses should be implemented. GEAR UP programs should be started. AVID should be started at the middle schools. The MyRoad program should be considered at the middle schools. All middle school students should experience at least one academic field trip to a local college. World Language courses should be available to all students.
  7. Study Skills Courses: The Everett School district should offer Study Skills courses or workshops (appropriately designed for elementary, middle, high school, and pre-college) that teach students how to study, take notes, prepare for tests, and manage their time.
  8. Required Summer Reading: The Everett School District needs to establish a summer reading program for all students in all grades (K-12). The Bellevue School District has a good example of required summer reading for all of its 6th - 12th graders.
  9. Required Summer Math The Everett School District needs to establish a summer math program for all students entering grades 5-12
  10. Focused Measures to Specifically Help Boys with Academics An annual district level report should track the progress of the high school dropout statistics by gender as well as the number of referrals in middle school and high school, the number of students in each of the AP courses, the number of students taking the AP exams, the number of scholarships awarded by different sources as well as the WASL statistics. Boy friendly academic programs should be started at the middle schools.
  11. Promote Community Service for Students and Parents Community Service by students should be highly visible and rewarded. Parents should be encouraged to volunteer and contribute first hand to their schools and community. International Baccalaureate (IB) Program schools (e.g. Inglemoor HS, Edmonds-Woodway HS, Interlake HS) set the good example with their 150 required hours of the IB CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) component.
  12. Advanced Academic Endorsement (AAE): An Advanced Academic Endorsement should be available to high school students - one that specifies 4 years of math, 3 years of algebra based lab science, 3 years of a World Language and 60 hours of community service. This endorsement should be on par with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Single subject area advanced certificates should also be available for students to earn.
  13. Later Start Time for High School Too many high school students are sleeping through their 1st period class. High school students need to go to bed earlier and the high schools need to start later and end later. A mutual agreement that will improve learning.
  14. Economics and Personal Finance AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics should be available to high school students. Business leaders should help develop a Personal Finance program that will give students the basics before they graduate high school.
  15. Additional Courses Students' various interests should be fostered. The following courses should be introduced in a timely manner: Orchestra, Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics, Biotechnology, Math Analysis, AP Human Geography, AP Environmental Science
  16. 10th - 12th Grade High Schools. The Everett School District should consider the following changes: Elementary School K-6, Middle School (Junior High) 7th - 9th, High School 10th-12th. High schools will be significantly smaller and more manageable while elementary schools will be marginally larger. 6th graders are too young for middle school and 9th graders are too young for high school. The Lake Washington School District and Northshore School District schools are designed this way as are other districts around our state and country.

We welcome your support on all of these proposals.

Please contact:

AP/IB Boosters
C/O: Todd Aagard
P.O. Box 13317 Mill Creek, WA 98082 
info@apibboosters.org
www.apibboosters.org