Contents

• 2005 Jackson HS AP Tests
• AP Teacher Standards
• Newsweek: America’s Best High Schools
• Four-Year College Planning
• Bellevue School District, Proposed 2009 Graduation Requirements
• Silent Sustained Reading
• Cascade HS PTSA and Jackson HS PTSA Support a Community Service Option
• Science Education: Preparing Students for the Global Economy, U.S. Dept. of Education, Online Event, Tue May 17, 2005 - 8:00 PM ET
• 2005 National Science Olympiad Tournament, May 20-21
• An Economic Analysis of the Equivalent Scholarship Potential of AP Exams
• In Memory of Louis Leithold

 

2005 Jackson HS AP Tests

I am writing this editorial because a group of my students are leaving my classroom to take an AP test and I am reminded that this is also happening at Jackson H.S. As a board member of the AP/IB Boosters, I have a unique perspective on the AP process that others do not. Yes, I am a community member, a parent of a senior at Jackson H.S. and a middle schooler at Heatherwood, but I am also a high school teacher in the Everett School District (EHS). I started teaching high school in 1975 and I have taught both AP and IB courses. I have not seen it all, but I have seen a lot.

I am more than encouraged to see the changes at Jackson H.S. this year. Instituting the six period day and the addition of many new AP classes has been a great educational advancement. But just because Jackson H.S. has added more AP classes this year, does not mean that all the students taking the AP tests will be successful. Instigating any new program or venture, from sports to business, involves growth and growing pains.

Successful AP programs require dedicated teachers well prepared in their ability to teach, advanced in their knowledge of the subject matter, and also able to comprehend and implement the entire AP process. Many East Coast schools start the school year weeks before we do and are taught in year-long classes. Some of the JHS classes are only a semester in length. Some East Coast schools offer AP courses for the seniors while we offer them for our juniors and sophomores. These factors make it more difficult for our students to compete and pass the AP tests.

Teaching AP courses also involves a competitive edge that surprised me when I attended my first US History AP Seminar in California in the 1980’s. The AP teachers at that seminar discussed various teaching strategies that they had been honing for years. They also were speculating on what the major essay questions would be that year. Their speculations were correct which greatly aided my students when they took their AP exam that year.

Jackson High School does not have a rich tradition in the realm of AP classes as some schools in the United States. However, one does not expect a state championship from a new team with a brand new coach. I believe our role should be supportive of the dramatically expanded AP program at Jackson H.S. Our expectations should be improvement every year in the quality of the AP program and the number of the students successfully passing the exams.

We should encourage Jackson’s administration to hire qualified instructors to teach challenging courses. Teachers do not obtain extra stipends for teaching these rigorous classes, which are just as rigorous for the teachers teaching them as for the students. To be qualified to teach AP classes truly means mastering the subject matter. I found my masters degree in education was not as useful as my masters degree in US History when it came to teaching AP US History.

It is rumored that some teachers at Jackson HS want the new AP classes to fail. What I do know is that starting any challenging new endeavor takes work. I commend the ceaseless efforts of Jeff Heckathorn and others who are aiding Jackson and other schools to improve academic excellence. I commend those teachers who dared to start new AP courses at Jackson. We should all continue to work toward the "academic excellence" goal put forth in the Everett School District’s mission statement. We do not want it said that Jackson tried to expand its AP program and it failed to meet expectations in the first year. Instead, we want it said that each year Jackson’s AP program continues to improve.

David Hastings - May 5, 2005

 

 

AP Teacher Standards

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com

"A hallmark of the Advanced Placement Program has been the clear emphasis the Program places on high standards for AP students and teachers. In an effort to clarify those standards for AP teachers, the Program is developing a document called AP Teacher Standards. The recommendations in this document draw on the standards established by professional teaching organizations, through educational research, and through the valuable experiences of those who have been part of the AP community."

Some excerpts from the AP Teacher Standards Draft Document:

"If not for Mr. Sunada, I never would have thought about college…After surviving his class, my self-esteem really increased, and I learned that I can do anything. More than that, being in AP felt like being a part of something…"

"Studies reinforce that teacher expertise is one of the most important factors in determining student achievement. In one study, teacher expertise accounted for more variation in student achievement than any other factor."

"Research also suggests that students of teachers with a major or minor in the content area in which they teach have higher rates of achievement, especially in math and science. Teachers who major or minor in their content area have students who outperform their peers by 40% of a grade level in both math and science."

"The College Board believes AP teachers should possess at least a bachelor’s degree in a content-related field or should have significant mastery of content knowledge. Preference may be given to those with an advanced degree in their subject area and/or subject area education. Demonstrating competence in an area closely related to the teacher’s training is also acceptable. Because AP coursework is college level work, and because virtually all college instructors hold advanced degrees, it is the recommendation of The College Board that AP teachers hold an advanced degree."

The College Board is asking for feedback. Here are the pertinent documents:

AP Teacher Standards Draft Document

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/repository/apteacherstandardsmai_45358.pdf

Comments Document

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/repository/comments_45357.rtf

 

 

Newsweek: America’s Best High Schools

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7761678/site/newsweek/

"The Goal: Never has high school had to do so much for so many. NEWSWEEK unveils the top schools across the country and suggests what others can do to make the grade."

 

 

Four-Year College Planning

The following article was published in the May/June 2005 JHS PTSA newsletter. It is reprinted here in full with permission. This article was assembled by the JHS Counseling Department to help parents help their kids understand that college admissions is becoming more competitive every year. Our compliments to the JHS counseling department for this straightforward account.

 

"The Counseling Department would like to offer some suggestions to your student if he or she is planning on attending a four-year college after graduating from Jackson High School. Admission to the college of your choice is based on many factors. Grade point average, SAT/ACT scores, essays, and the rigor of core classes are some of the most important factors. Taking a challenging junior and senior year that includes courses in English, social studies, math, sciences, and world language is extremely important. We have heard from a growing number of admissions counselors who are telling us that they are denying admission to students who choose to take a senior course load that is lightweight. Meeting the minimum core requirements is simply not enough anymore. If your student registers for a combination of teacher’s assistant, office assistant, P.E., early release or late start, and little else, the college may assume that your student is not interested in challenging him/herself or in furthering his/her readiness for college.

Many students worry that by taking rigorous courses they may lower their GPA and decrease their chances to get into the college of their choice. Should a student take AP or honors courses if they are eligible to take them? Colleges continue to tell us that they would like students to take these courses and take the AP exam if your student is in an AP course. Champlain College says, "The enrichment such courses offer to your student will be something they will always have and we do consider the level of every course as we look at their grades."

In their newsletter to high school counselors, Western Washington University discussed several distinguishing factors that have a positive impact on admissions. These include:

• Taking a full academic load through senior year, including math through pre-calculus or calculus; four-five years of the same foreign language; and four years of science, including chemistry and physics.
• Perseverance in the face of significant hardship.
• Potential contributions to the Western community such as multiculturalism, exceptional talent, leadership, "heart," etc.
• Well-written personal statement that helps Western get to know what is important to a student and/or to understand academic choices and personal circumstances.
• Risk-taking, such as going on exchange, standing up for one’s beliefs, accepting new challenges, etc.
• Sustained involvement rather than occasional or one-time participation in extracurricular activities. Students who list activities that occurred for one hour or one-half day generally lose credibility in the review process.

Washington colleges will continue to experience a growing population attempting to gain entrance into college until 2009. For the last several years these same colleges have been hit with decreased financial support from the state and have therefore decreased admissions. For example, this year Western Washington University had 8,600 applications for 2,350 spaces (compared to 7,900 applications for 2,400 spaces in 2004). Western included several examples of how students this year hurt themselves when preparing for college. They are:

• Little or no academic course work beyond core, even though options were available. This year’s applicant pool includes far too many capable students who mistakenly assumed that simply meeting core requirements was sufficient or that their senior year was not important.
• Ongoing struggles in math.
• Not fulfilling Western’s unique algebra-based chemistry or physics requirement.
• Sporadic or negative grade trends, frequently followed by an across the board drop in curricular rigor.
• Poor presentation; not taking the time to put the best foot forward; missing deadlines; failing to follow up on requests for additional information.

The Counseling Department would like to urge all students as they look forward to the end of the year to put the pedal to the metal and attain the best grades they can. We encourage our students to challenge themselves for the rest of their high school career."

 

 

 

The Bellevue School District, Proposed 2009 Graduation Requirements

http://www.bsd405.org/

http://www.bsd405.org/gradProposal05.html

"Proposal

As a result of all the information the district now had, Dr. Riley said the district was considering raising graduation requirements from two years of science to three and from three years of mathematics to four. In response to board members' expectation that not all parents would be supportive, Dr. Riley pointed out that in the Class of 2004, 74% completed advanced math – either Pre-Calculus or AP Calculus, compared to 42% completing advanced English. In addition, 78% completed three years of science.

Dr. Riley told the board, "You already have a requirement of three years of math, all evidence shows that students need math in their senior year to avoid remediation in college, and we have very few kids in lower level math any longer. He said he was not recommending students complete a specific course, but a total number of credits. He added, "But we know that kids who get to Pre-Calculus are less likely to need remediation in college." While completion of specific science courses would not be part of the proposed change in science requirements, students would be advised to take biology, chemistry and physics."

 

Silent Sustained Reading

The following information was presented at the May JHS PTSA meeting.

"In 2005/2006 Jackson HS will begin a program of silent sustained reading: 25 minutes per day, every student, staff person and administrator will pick up a book, newspaper, magazine and read."

Each regular period will be reduced by approximately 5 minutes to accommodate this reading time.

A recent survey of JHS students showed that about 50% of JHS students are reading less than 1 hour per week. This is insufficient for college prep and career prep in the 21^st century.

Students of parents reading this newsletter most likely are reading an hour a day on average, or more especially if they are taking one ore more AP or pre-AP courses. So for those students, this time can be used for additional pleasure or wider informational reading. But hopefully this dedicated reading time in school will help other students learn and appreciate the value, and enjoyment, of daily reading. Their opportunities in life will expand.

This SSR is part of the JHS School Improvement Program (SIP) focus. It is already in effect at the other Everett School District high schools.

 

 

 

Cascade HS PTSA and Jackson HS PTSA Support a Community Service Option

We would like to thank the Cascade HS PTSA and the Jackson HS PTSA for agreeing to discuss the Community Service idea for our high school students. While the details are yet to be worked out, we all are in agreement that students should be encouraged (perhaps rewarded with certificates and end-of-year award ceremonies) to undertake Community Service. A Community Service Project should also be able to form the basis of a meaningful CE project.

The PTSAs may submit their own specific proposals. Here is the AP/IB Boosters current proposal.

http://www.apibboosters.org/CommunityService.html

 

 

 

Science Education: Preparing Students for the Global Economy, U.S. Dept. of Education, Online Event, Tue May 17, 2005 - 8:00 PM ET

http://registerevent.ed.gov/

"Students lose interest in math and science the further they advance through the educational system. Reform cannot wait."

-Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education

 

2005 National Science Olympiad Tournament, May 20-21

http://www.soinc.org/

Participating Teams

http://www.nso.uiuc.edu/teams.asp

"Welcome to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, host for the National Science Olympiad (NSO) in 2005. We are honored to have this rare and unique opportunity to bring the nation’s brightest and most gifted high school and junior high science/engineering students to our campus and community."

 

An Economic Analysis of the Equivalent Scholarship Potential of AP Exams

http://www.apibboosters.org/Economics.html

College readiness is the best reason why students should take AP Courses and Exams. But there are also financial incentives in the form of equivalent scholarships. A simple analysis to quantify this benefit follows.

Students who do well on the National AP Exams can obtain credit at over 90% of colleges in the United States. These granted credits can help students graduate early or at least on time (a 4 year degree in 4 years). These credits also permit students to enroll in other courses of interest that they otherwise would not be able to fit in their schedule. Or they would need to enroll in an extra quarter or semester. To assign a dollar value to these earned credits a simple marginal cost benefit technique will be used. The college costs per credit will be calculated from data supplied by several colleges: the University of Washington, Western Washington University, Edmonds Community College, and Johns Hopkins University. The AP equivalent scholarship amount is then calculated as the product of the cost per credit and the awarded AP credit.

Students (and their parents) do have a cost to pay for the chance to obtain these equivalent scholarships. They must pay the $82 for each exam. Low income students in Washington only pay $5 per exam. And, most importantly, students must toil away throughout the duration of the AP course to learn and to be well prepared for the culminating AP exam.

The University of Washington

 

 

http://www.washington.edu/students/uga/fr/reqs/details/apcredit.htm

 

Western Washington University

 

http://admissions.wwu.edu/freshman/f_runningstart.html

Edmonds Community College