Hello AP/IB Boosters!
Contents
November is College Application Time for High School Seniors
Families with senior students – we feel your pain. Your students are filling out lengthy college applications. Most if not all are online these days. Carefully, and we mean carefully, review those forms.
Students, this is where a nit picky parent comes in handy. A thorough review by another set of eyes will greatly help the process and increase your chances of success. Make sure you check with your school counselor for the latest information.
On applications from practically all colleges in the U.S., students will find specific slots to enter info about their AP and/or IB course work – the gold standards. Hopefully students will have something to enter here. We (AP/IB Boosters) have tried our best to bring about these opportunities for a reason. The Everett School District administrators, school board, and AP teachers are to be commended for listening to customers and establishing an expanding list of AP courses for students to choose.
For families who have a year or more to go, you might want to check out the instructions for applying to the University of Washington to get an idea of what is ahead.
http://www.applyweb.com/apply/uwf/instruct.html
Best of luck to all families during this anxious time.
Everett School District AP Offerings for 2005/2006
Here are the Everett School District AP offerings for the 2005/2006 school year.
|
Course |
Cascade HS |
Jackson HS |
Everett HS |
|
AP English Literature |
X |
X |
|
|
AP English Language |
X |
X |
X |
|
AP Studio Art |
X |
X |
|
|
AP Statistics |
X |
X |
|
|
AP Calculus |
X |
X |
|
|
AP Biology |
X |
X |
X |
|
AP World History |
X |
X |
|
|
AP U.S. History |
X |
X |
X |
|
AP Government |
X |
X |
|
|
AP Geography |
X |
||
|
AP Chemistry |
X |
||
|
AP Physics |
X |
||
|
AP Spanish |
X |
Heatherwood Middle School Study Skills Workshop, November 9, 2005
Having well-honed study skills is one of the most important factors for success in college. Heatherwood Middle School is holding another Study Skills Workshop this year. Another cog in the wheel if you will.
http://heatherwoodpta.org/events/StudySkillsWorkshop.html
Way to go Heatherwood.
New UW Admissions Standard
See the Seattle Times article, "Grades only part of picture for new UW admissions plan."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002542775_admissions06m.html
Ok students, another obstacle has been removed. Step right up to the AP course (and exam) registration. You can do it.
International Baccalaureate Booster Clubs in Washington
As far as we know, we are one of a kind – a booster club that promotes both AP and IB. But there are several International Baccalaureate Booster clubs in our state.
Here are 3:
Inglemoor HS
http://inglemooribboosters.com/
Bellevue
Tri-City
http://webpages.charter.net/tricityib/
Long Sequences of World Language Study Significantly Better
As if we needed a big study to tell us that the longer one studies a World Language (in years) the better one learns the language. The College Board recently published an article that stated just that: AP World Language exam grades go up with the number of years one studies the language. This is one reason why we would like to see World Languages started earlier in our school district.
Foreign Language Study Translates to Higher SAT Scores
We hope the Everett School District will someday add Asian language courses to its World Language curriculum. There are lots of reasons to do so. Improving SAT scores is one. Check out the College Board site for a recent article on the subject.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
The Japan Foundation, Advocacy Kit, For K-12 Language Programs
We would like to see at least one or both Japanese Language & Culture and Chinese Language & Culture courses started immediately (fall 2006) in the Everett School District. To help with that effort, one of our board members has held several discussions with representatives from the Japanese Consulate. One of the resources that we received was The Japan Foundation Advocacy Kit, for K-12 Japanese Language Programs. It is the 2nd edition which features "AP Japanese: A guide to Developing a Japanese Advanced Placement Program at Your School." We will gladly make this available to school board members, district administrators, individual school administrators, and local PTA board members.
College Board Events
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
Using Video in the AP Physics Classroom
November 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Interdisciplinary Workshop in English and Social Studies
November 19, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)
AP Environmental Science
"The College Board is committed to the principle that all students deserve an opportunity to participate in rigorous and academically challenging courses and programs. All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP courses. The Board encourages the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP courses for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the AP Program. Schools should make every effort to ensure that their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population."
AP Environmental Science has been a recent focus on the apcentral.collegeboard.com web site.
"AP Environmental Science is equivalent to a one-semester college-level course and is an excellent option for those students not necessarily interested in taking AP Biology, AP Chemistry, or AP Physics."
U.S. Dept. of Education Webcast
Special Education: Ensuring Excellence for All Students - Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
http://registerevent.ed.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewer.description&intEventID=191
3 Part PBS Series: Rx for Survival—A Global Health Challenge, November 1-3, 2005
http://kcts.org/affairs/features/rxforsurvival/index.asp
"KCTS has joined Rx for Survival™, a major new programming and outreach project addressing global health challenges. The project is co-produced by WGBH Boston and Seattle's Vulcan Productions and funded by the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Merck Company Foundation.
This pioneering multimedia project is designed to create an understanding of the importance of global health issues in our lives and inspire a national dialogue about the role of the United States in addressing serious health issues. The project brings together independent media coverage from PBS.org, TIME, NPR and The Penguin Press.
The cornerstone of Rx for Survival is a dramatic six-hour television series that examines the most prominent global health issues and concerns; including deadly infectious diseases, vaccines and medicines, malnutrition, obesity, and the challenges unique to forging better health in developing countries.
In addition, the WGBH/NOVA Science Unit and Vulcan Productions have created Rx for Child Survival™, an outreach campaign to raise awareness about child survival issues and encourage people to speak out, volunteer time and energy, and donate to programs that benefit children. CARE, Save the Children, UNICEF, and the Global Health Council are just a few of the organizations that have joined this national outreach campaign."
Western Washington University’s Open House, November 4th-6th, 2005
http://www.wwualumni.com/s/105/index.aspx?sid=105&gid=1&pgid=13&cid=97&event_id=127
"Western’s Really Big Weekend for students, parents, alumni and local community members will be Nov. 4-6 in a celebration that will include fireworks, planetarium shows, performances by pianist Yong Hi Moon and folk-rock singer Brandi Carlile, departmental open houses, football and other athletic events and much more.
This new event marks a combination of the efforts of several previous fall events at Western — Homecoming, Western Fall Welcome and the Fall Family Open House."
Missing: Males on College Campuses
One of our board members submitted the following article to the Jackson HS PTSA for consideration in the PTSA newsletter. It is reprinted here with permission.
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Over the last few years, there have been countless news articles on the growing gender gap for students in preparing for college. Boys are falling further and further behind. But the problem by and large is not receiving adequate attention or even being recognized as a problem within the K-12 educational system.
In the Crosstalk Article "Where the Boys Aren’t" the author, Robert Jones, discusses the data and work by Tom Mortenson - editor and publisher of Postsecondary Education Opportunity.
http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0205/news0205-boys.shtml
Boys of all races/ethnic backgrounds have been on a steady downward spiral when it comes to success at college. The data is especially disturbing for minorities. In 2002, only 33% of the bachelors degrees awarded to black students were to male students.
UW's Gear Up program aims to put boys on path to college.
http://gearup.washington.edu/article/14.html
Finally a national public university is starting to take on this problem. In the summer of 2005, the University of Washington’s Gear Up program had a special program for boys only.
"This is a serious dilemma with regard to boys, especially boys of color, who are absolutely not thriving and are just falling through the cracks," said Thomas Calhoun Jr., executive director of the Gear Up program at the UW, which is running the academy.
"For decades, women have been going to college in greater numbers than men, and that gap continues to widen."
In the October 3rd, 2005 Seattle Times article "Campus gender gap: Progress or problem?" the author describes the situation at Washington State University’s Veterinarian College where female students outnumber male students 3 to 1.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002534398_gender02m.html
"The U.S. Department of Education estimates that, by 2014, women will earn 60 percent of all bachelor's degrees and will earn a majority of professional and doctoral degrees. Yet U.S. Census figures show 51 percent of adults under 35 are men."
From looking at recent data in the Everett School District, one can see that the next generation of college going students in our community will be even more one sided.
2002 Everett School District Dropouts
Male: 114
Female: 64
2005 Everett School District AP Exam Takers
AP Calculus
Male 11
Female 16
AP English Language and Composition
Male 17
Female 38
AP English Literature and Composition
Male 22
Female 45
Even the local PTA has some culpability in not addressing this problem. In the spring of 2005, the Henry M. Jackson HS PTSA awarded 6 scholarships. All 6 went to girls.
In a 2003 Business Week article,
http://www.businessweek.com/@@e0s@vYUQ3VY66hoA/magazine/content/03_21/b3834010_mz001.htm
Tom Mortenson remarked, "My belief is that until women decide that the education of boys is a serious issue, nothing is going to happen."
He believes some women feel threatened by even admitting the problem because "it will take away from the progress of women...What everyone needs to realize is that if boys continue to slide, women will lose too."
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School size: Is smaller really better?
The one thing about school fads is that eventually even the staunchest proponents of each one can’t hide from the evidence.
Mariner HS and Mountlake Terrace HS are two local high schools that jumped on the latest fad a couple of years ago. They took the grant money to implement the "schools within a school" idea. Much of this money came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation is now having second thoughts.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002582929_smallschools26n.html
We told them so. No, really, we did. Last year, December 2004, one of our board members sent the following information to the Gates Foundation urging them to rethink their policy of supporting this fad.
Comments from teachers from around the country who have experience with SLC (small learning communities) follow:
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We started SLCs or academies eight years ago, and finally the nightmare is nearly over. We are a regular high school, currently have 4200 students, and at one point when we were somewhat smaller had 6 SLCs. Two of these are magnet programs which take students at all levels.
The two largest problems:
1. SCHEDULING, especially as students moved into their junior and senior years. It was considered horrific when a student from academy A ended up in an English or other class with students from academy B. The academies began to become elitist quickly.
2. Because students within each SLC took many of their classes together, the kids knew each other too well. Even with the best kids, there were issues of behavior, bullying, snubbing. The social situations were unbearable for some students. We have finally abandoned all but the two magnets, and EVERYONE is much happier. Now if we could figure out how to stop hurricanes, life would be wonderful.
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Acknowledging that I'm the cynical one when it comes to these smaller learning communities, our school went this direction this year, all three tracks, all grade levels, and it's a mess. Lots of disruption which will grow with the addition of still another where kids will be chosen at random from another track, given no say when they are switched to this one. They have no English teacher for this one; the teachers who have opted to be part of it leave classes behind. This is starting Monday, btw. We've been in school for 2 1/2 weeks.
Think smaller learning communities are something in name only. Our superintendent imposed this on the district. See it as another weak attempt at another quick fix which will last maybe two years until the next fad comes along. Have seen this in the different programs we've been forced to adopt over the last 3 years, three of them. Talk about a collosal waste of money. One of these days they'll learn to leave what works alone, and allow us to do our jobs. OK, stepping down.
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Where are you and what schools are floundering as a result of SLC. I have been fighting this movement in my school but to no avail because a counselor who previously taught home economics applied for a grant and miraculously became our guru. She has everyone believing that our students do not need AP English if they are in the Medical Academy--that they will be better served by an English teacher on the "team." If you have contact names from the other schools, I would appreciate getting any information from them.
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While I would sincerely like to believe that the idea behind SLCs is both good and well-intentioned, it has not gone smoothly at my school. The idea that was originally presented to us was not the monster it has grown into. We already had a computer-math-science magnet (not SLC) program at my school and we also had a small, special environmental sciences program. Three communities were added. Our school has now become a demonstration school for SLCs. The only two programs that are successful as "SLCs" are the programs that were already in existence.
(BTW, I teach at Lakewood HS in St. Petersburg FL. Do NOT spend your money to come here for a visit. You will be shown the two programs mentioned above. You will not be talking to teachers in the rest of the school who may have less favorable things to say about the plan.)
So far, this message says nothing that I haven't said in public before. What follows may be more of a rant, so some folks may want to hit the delete button right now.
And I will acknowledge that what follows comes from:
1. a couple years of frustration as the English Dept. tried to point out potential problems before they became real problems (and were ignored and considered "too negative" and "visionless") and
2. very probably the stress and uncertainty of having to face a third hurricane in as many weeks (and I feel guilty even mentioning this because I know there are folks elsewhere in Florida who don't have a school to complain about or a home to leave school for).
From what I've seen and heard, the large, diverse schools that are most successful with SLCs are the ones who have not rigidly adhered to the notion of "purity" in scheduling -- the SLCs may have electives that are pure, but the core classes are mixed -- kind of like in college where everyone takes certain general ed courses, but then specific courses in a major field of study.
Here are some of the problems that have arisen as my school became an SLC and has enforced enrollment "purity" in almost every class.
Students are forced to choose a community when they enroll in the school. (They can make this choice w/ no parental input as 8th graders when they sign up for their 9th grade classes, or they have to make this choice in 5 seconds with parent input when they come from out of state and are told by district which school they will be attending.
They have not been allowed to change communities once they are here.
One SLC instituted a special 3-year social studies program that prevents students new to the school from being placed in that program after 9th grade because they will not have taken the appropriate classes, thereby forcing all new mid-year students into the other three remaining communities.
Students have segregated themselves by sex and by race and by SES.
No cap was put on enrollment in any community, because the students, are, after all, the customers, and they should get what they want or they could go somewhere else. Therefore, class sizes vary widely from community to community, creating inequitable teaching conditions within the school. (Right now, for example, a teacher in one community has two classes of English 9 with 33 students altogether; a teacher in a different community also has two classes of English 9 with a total of 63 students.) The teachers in the large communities, the ones chosen by many students because the community sounded "easy", find themselves daily facing Bait the Teacher, a skill students are perfecting since they travel in groups all day long. (Last year, in an attempt to shame some of us, the administration printed a list of how many referrals each teacher had written. Ironically, it worked the other way. It became rather liberating, allowing more teachers to become convinced that they were taking too much cr-p from their classes of 30+ students. The teachers w/ low referral rates were those teaching the smaller classes in the two communities mentioned before.) (I've been teaching almost 30 years, and I'd like to think I know a thing or two about teaching students at all levels and about effective classroom management. I'd written 70 referrals, and I wasn't even in the top 10. Prior to last year, I probably hadn't written 70 referrals in my career, and I spent quite a few years teaching kids who were in prison if they weren't in school. -- OK: this part was definitely a rant.)
The teachers have been told that the idea behind SLCs is that the sense of community is developed when students have the same teachers each year who will keep track of them and keep them on track. However, there are some communities that have already become undesirable to teachers because of the discipline issues. By March of last year, some teachers started trying to cut deals with administrators so they could be assigned to the "better" communities. Some campaigned better than others. This did not help staff relations.
SLCs also create more meetings, especially for English teachers in schools and school districts feeling pressured by high-stakes tests.
One of the advantages of teaching in a large school is the relative luxury of having only 2 or 3 preps. Now that teachers are being forced to commit to specific SLCs, the number of preps has gone up and the time they have to develop lessons has decreased. This DOES impact student achievement.
Administrators are now comparing SLCs by the state test results, trying to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers based on the progress of their students (and this DOES happen), and having them develop (state-mandated) professional development plans based on their test scores. This is creating some very real and legitimate anxiety in good teachers. (I'm not being alarmist and reactionary here. I've already had to explain to . . . folks who should know better . . . that SLCs which have been allowed to self-segregate will have disparate test results, and that decisions about what should be taught in English class should be made by English teachers and the subject area supervisor, not by folks looking at test scores and deciding that some teachers aren't doing enough to prepare their students.
That's the short version of Cara's Reasons to Run the Other Way When Someone Mentions SLCs.
I would suggest that anyone at a school interested in beginning SLCs:
1. get EVERYTHING in writing, including how long the noble experiment will last
2. make your building administration put everything in writing, too.
3. get a written commitment that problems will be fixed right away.
4. work harder to learn the negatives than the positives.
5. resist the allure of "free money" from a grant, since it may encumber you more than free you
6. identify everything that your school is doing right before you try to fix what isn't broken.
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