Hello AP/IB Boosters!
Content
AP/IB Boosters Goals and Specific Changes/Improvements Sought
We are encouraged to see JHS, and the entire Everett School District, embracing AP. We are now revising our plan to cover additional improvements to the educational opportunities for all students at our local schools. Your input is welcome.
Goals
Specific Changes/Improvements Sought
1) Discontinuing of the English/History combo courses at JHS.
Separating English and History courses will give more options for students – a student may excel in one subject but not the other. AP World History should be an option for freshmen, juniors, and seniors, not just sophomores. Students should have a better opportunity to earn higher grades instead of a combined lower grade. Teaching separate disciplines should maximize student performance on Washington state mandated Assessments. By 2008 the State of Washington will have created new State Assessments for the Social Sciences. Social Science will consist of the following four areas: History, Geography, Economics and Civics. English consists of the following two areas: Language Arts, Literature
2) Modify or remove the JHS 4x4 schedule to provide more options for students.
Jackson HS students only receive 77% of the instruction time for each 1 credit course compared to students at Cascade HS. JHS should consider moving to quarters like Sammamish HS. Some courses can be 1 quarter, 2 quarters (1 4x4 semester), 3 quarters (some tougher AP courses), 4 quarters (tough AP courses such as AP Biology and AP Chemistry). Modified block schedules implemented at the top 6 high schools in the Greater Seattle Area should be considered as alternatives to the 4x4.
3) More AP options for students.
9th-12th graders should be able to take any AP course if they are ready (no barriers). Tying an AP Course to a certain grade specific humanities course should be stopped. More AP courses: AP Art History, AP Biology, AP Computer Science, AP Economics: Macro and Micro, AP English Literature, AP English Language, AP Environmental Science, AP Government & Politics, AP Human Geography, AP Physics B (eventually C), AP Psychology, and AP Statistics should be offered.
On-line courses, such as from APEX and Aventa, should be available where students can take AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, and other courses this school year.
4) Create an official IB option for ESD students.
Several possibilities:
5) District wide summer reading program for all students in all grades.
For several years now, the Bellevue School district has had required summer reading for every 6th-12th grader. We have a suggested summer reading program for all K-12 students at the link below.
http://www.apibboosters.org/SummerReadingEverettSD.html
6) Band cannot dominate the JHS schedule.
Band is important, but 1 period at most should be designated as priority to band/choir but otherwise AP courses should be evenly distributed throughout the day. Non-band kids should not be disadvantaged.
7) On-line detailed course syllabi.
The district is spending 22 million dollars of taxpayer dollars for technology this year (2003). A small part should be used to publicize what is being taught in an efficient technically progressive way.
Some teachers at JHS have already taken this step:
http://www.everett.wednet.edu/schools/high/hmjackson/academics/classweb.html
8) Parents should have access to teachers' biographies - preferably on-line.
Credentials, college degrees, colleges attended, teaching experience.
Lake Stevens HS has good examples:
http://viking.lkstevens.wednet.edu/staff/
As does Cedar Wood Elementary School:
http://www.everett.wednet.edu/schools/elementary/cedarwood/classrooms/lysen/index.html
http://www.everett.wednet.edu/schools/elementary/cedarwood/classrooms/lundberg/index.html
9) Continuously publish measurements of teaching/learning effectiveness.
WASL, ITBS/ITED, UW reports, ACT, SAT I, SAT II, and National AP Exam results for each school in the district. Compare each school in the district to its peer group - the 10 schools in the state with similar demographics. For example: Comparing JHS to Cascade or JHS to the state average is quite meaningless . . It is not an apples to apples comparison.
10) Improved middle schools with a coordinated college prep curriculum.
Start and continue the practice of AP vertical teams and Pre-AP courses.
11) Continued close cooperation with the PTAs and PTSAs.
12) More world language options.
Start offering Chinese and Arabic.
13) District policy to help entice students into AP level classes.
Grades should be raised depending on AP exam performance. Grading should not be used as a scare tactic to discourage students from taking on high level courses. Some colleges recalculate High School GPA. Some only "count" core courses (Math, Science, Language, History, and English) and add an additional grade point to AP classes. For example, if a student receives an A in JHS AP Chem they would use 5.0 not 4.0 in the recalculation of the student's GPA.
14) District policy to promote important academic events.
Examples: College Fairs, UW Math Day, UW World Languages Day, UW Engineering Open House, UW Health Sciences Open House, UW School of Art Open House, FIRST Robotics Competition, Mathematics Competitions.
15) District led effort to educate the school community about the benefits of AP and IB.
16) This district should have a policy of strongly encouraging civics education.
All high school students should (and AP Government & Politics students must) regularly read a significant newspaper or weekly newsmagazine. This practice improves reading and writing skills; teaches students about life after high school such as college, careers and community service; and serves as a national and global civics lesson.
This document is available at:
http://www.apibboosters.org/GoalsAndObjectives.html
US News & World Report Issue on Best Colleges in America
The latest issue, 9/1/03, of US News & World Report covers their rating of America’s Best Colleges. It also has useful information on the changes coming to the SAT and the college admissions process. These articles are available on the US News web site for the next 2 weeks.
A Funny Saying About Parent Activism
This was contained in an article on Greatschools.net.
If enough parents indicate interest in school improvement, administrators are usually willing to listen. CIPL parent trainers like to use this example, called "Collaboration Counts":
1 parent = a fruitcake
2 parents = fruitcake and friend
3 parents = troublemakers
5 parents = let’s have a meeting
10 parents = we’d better listen
25 parents = our dear friends
50 parents = a powerful organization
Thank you,
Todd Aagard
Chairperson
AP/IB Boosters
Advanced Placement Opportunities for
All Students
www.apibboosters.org
info@apibboosters.org