Getting Students Ready for High School

1
Getting Students Ready for High School

• Oklahoma State Department of Education
• For Counselors Only Conference
• April 2004

2
The Excellence and Equity Challenge

• Without preparation, opportunity is an empty
  promise.
• Alan Page, former NFL star, current Minnesota
  State Supreme Court Justice
• Austin American Statesman, 10.25.02

3
The Excellence Challenge

• Fewer than half of students who enter a public
  university in Oklahoma graduate with a bachelors
  degree within six years.
• Community Action Network, Education Assessment,
  August 2002

4
The Advanced Placement Program

• a cooperative educational endeavor between
  secondary schools and colleges and universities
• composed of 34 rigorous courses/examinations
  offered in 19 subject areas in 2002 newest
  addition AP World History
• committed to educational excellence and
  educational equity
• an extensive system of teacher professional
  development

5
Advanced Placement 2003

• National Totals
• 1,524,013 AP Examinations
• 890,221 Students
• 61.4 scores 3

6
Advanced Placement 2003

• NationallyTop 5 Exams
• U.S. History
• English Literature
• English Language
• Calculus AB
• Biology

7
Advanced Placement 2003

• Oklahoma Top 5 Exams
• English Literature
• English Language
• U.S. History
• U.S. Government Politics
• Calculus AB

8
1998-2003 Oklahoma AP Participation
9
1998-2003 Oklahoma AP Exam Total and Number 3,
4, 5s
10
2003 AP Distributions by Ethnic Group in Oklahoma
Oklahoma AP minority participation
22.0 National AP minority participation 28.2
11
The AP Program Benefits for Students

• Students gain college-level analytical,
  communication, and study skills as well as
  academic confidence
• Students can earn college credit and/or advanced
  standing at over 90 of United States colleges
  and universities if they successfully complete an
  AP Examination
• Students can gain national/international
  recognition

12
AP and College Success
Students who take AP courses and exams are much
more likely than their peers to complete a
bachelors degree in four years or less. Source
Camara, Wayne. (2003). College Persistence,
Graduation, and Remediation. College Board
Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY College
Board.
13
Top 4 Factors Influencing Admission Decisions -
2003

NACAC Bulletin January/February 2004

• Grades in College Prep Courses (78 )
• Standardized Admission Tests (61)
• Grades in all Courses (54)
• Class Rank (33)

( of college admission officers rating the
factor to be of considerable importance in the
admission decision process)
14
Benefits for the Community

• Creating an inclusive program with Pre-AP/AP
  strategies and bridges, not roadblocks
• Generating support from business and community
  leaders

15
The Equity Challenge

• The Advanced Placement Program tests all of
  us, our educational philosophy, our beliefs about
  human potential, and what we mean when we say we
  have high expectations for all kids.
• Michael Riley, Superintendent of Bellevue
  Schools in Bellevue, WA, AP as the Common
  Curriculum, AP Central

16
The Equity Challenge

• AP courses are not for the elite they are for
  the prepared.
• Terry Grier, Superintendent, Guilford County
  Schools

17
The Importance of Middle School

• By the ninth grade (perhaps as early as the
  seventh grade), most students have developed
  occupational and educational expectations that
  are strongly related to SES.
• Swimming Against the Tide The Poor in American
  Higher Education, 2001

18
The Importance of Middle School

• Lowest SES quartile students entering
  postsecondary education in 1992 were less likely
  to be academically prepared compared to their
  highest quartile peers.
• Swimming Against the Tide The Poor in American
  Higher Education, 2001

19
The Concept of Pre-AP

• Teaches and reinforces crucial academic skills in
  the greatest possible number of students,
  beginning in the elementary and middle school
  years.
• Prepares growing numbers of students, especially
  those traditionally under- represented in AP?
  courses, for the challenges offered by the AP
  Program?.

20
Defining Pre-AP

• Pre-AP is a set of content-specific
• strategies to
• build rigorous curricula
• promote access to AP? for all students

21
Defining Pre-AP

• Pre-AP is a set of content-specific
• strategies to
• Introduce skills, concepts, and assessment
  methods to prepare students for success
  when they take AP
• Strengthen curriculum and increase the
  academic challenge for all
  students

22
PRE-AP INITIATIVES ___________________________
______________
Total Student Population - Beginning
Pre-AP
Students with Pre-AP Skills
23
PRE-AP INITIATIVES ________________________
_________________
Total Student Population - Developing Pre-AP
Students with Pre-AP Skills
24
PRE-AP INITIATIVES _____________________________
____________
Total Student Population - Fully Developed
Pre-AP
Students with Pre-AP Skills
25
The Importance of the AP Vertical Team?

• An AP Vertical Team is a group of educators
  from different grade levels in a given discipline
  who work cooperatively to develop and implement a
  vertically aligned program aimed at helping
  students acquire the skills necessary for success
  in the Advanced Placement Program.

26
Why Create AP Vertical Teams?

• Standards
• Inclusion
• Innovation
• Coordination
• Empowerment
• Enthusiasm

27
Factors of Success of Vertical Team

• Collaboration
• Collegiality
• Coherence
• Commitment

28
Summary

• The AP Program provides the goals
• An AP Vertical Team provides a vehicle to achieve
  those goals
• Pre-AP provides the strategies and skills
• Together they promote educational
  excellence for all students.

29
The Counselors Role

• Gain an understanding of AP, Pre-AP, and Vertical
  Teams
• Understand and appreciate the critical role of
  the middle schools connection to the Advanced
  Placement Program
• Promote an inclusive Pre-AP campus

30
The Counselors Role

• Provide parent information sessions that promote
  parental understanding and support for academic
  rigor
• Provide activities that help students develop
  academic habits of mind and coping skills to
  encourage academic perseverance
• Coordinate AP Vertical Team efforts with the
  middle/high school

31
GROGoing Right On Magazine
This college and career magazine is specifically
written for middle school students. Comes with 5
lesson plans. Sent free of charge to schools with
significant numbers of low-income students.
32
Choose College Stories of Success

• Free video profiles four low-income,
  first-generation college students and their
  families
• Motivating stories for middle school and high
  school students and their parents
• Available in dual language version
  (English/Spanish)
• Includes booklet with important information about
  college admission

E-mail choosecollege_at_collegeboard.org
33
The Importance of Middle School

• In the eighth grade, the desire to go to college
  is about as high among low SES-students as among
  their affluent classmates.
• Swimming Against the Tide The Poor in American
  Higher Education, 2001

34
CollegeEd

• Twelve-lesson course for middle school
• 45minute sessions on steps to go to college
• Involves parent/adult partner
• CollegeEd goals
• Increase college-going rates
• Decrease college drop-out rates

35
CollegeEd Philosophy

• Everyone can go to college.
• College is affordable.
• College is important to success.
• High School choices matter for college admission.
• Planning for college in middle school is
  important.
• Family involvement is a key component.

36
CollegeEd Summary

• CollegeEds vision is to assist students
  to develop high educational aspirations provide
  them with information that will enable them to
  make informed decisions about their future at an
  age when they still have time to prepare
  academically and financially.

37
Have a Great Finish to Your Year!

• Kristy K Ehlers, Ph.D.
• State Director, Gifted Talented
  Education/Advanced Placement
• kristy_ehlers_at_sde.state.ok.us
• 405.521.4287