Supporting the Less Traditional AP Student

I will be teaching AP chemistry next year for the first time. I have a large number of students signed up for the course next year (mid-50s which is unheard of in my district). I am excited but nervous about how to properly support my future AP students. They are very excited to tackle the course but I want to make sure they know what they are getting into and that I have a strong support system for them in place on day 1. Can you elaborate a bit more on what kinds of supports your teachers have in place to support students who have signed up and eager to try but are perhaps less prepared than the “traditional” AP student?

This is a comment that I got recently and I wanted to respond to it since I have several suggestions that might be helpful.  At this time of year, teachers are getting ready for the culminating activity of the AP exam while also looking ahead to next year as students are signing up for future coursework.  Several years ago, I experienced a sudden jump in my BC Calculus enrollment.  As we go deeper into the student pool, those new AP students are necessarily weaker than when we were just skimming the best students off the top.  We want to make sure that all of the students have the opportunity to be successful without lowering the standards of the course.  Here are a few suggestions:

Be very honest about the demanding nature of the class.  I immediately sent a letter home to all of the students who had signed up explaining the level of difficulty, the homework expectations and the fact that they would need to attend extra tutorials and prep sessions.  I warned them that they might experience lower grades than they were used to but assured them that they would learn a lot and be able to pass if they completed the requirements of the class.  Students and parents signed the letter and I kept them on file in case I got complaints at the beginning of year.  I had none since everyone came in with their eyes open.

Give them something to study over the summer.  Many AP English teachers provide a summer reading list so that students can have time to truly savor the novels and then simply re-read passages or chapters during the school year.  I warn students we will have a pop quiz on the unit circle (learned in precalculus) on the second day of school and that I expect them to be fully familiar with all families of functions.  An AP chemistry teacher might have them practice balancing chemical equations or learn the periodic table.  Try to identify some prerequisite knowledge or activity that would be very helpful in your class and include that in the previously mentioned letter.

Ramp up the rigor over the course of the year.  For the first test, you might provide a review sheet and then assist students in making their own review sheet for the second test and make it clear they will need to do this on their own for the third test.  Help them to develop the study strategies and tools that will serve them well as they go on to college.  Provide plenty of support at the beginning of the year and then wean them from it as the year progresses.

Provide opportunities for small successes.  I give daily pop quizzes over material that I expect them to have memorized (unit circle, derivatives rules, theorems and formulas).  While grades are initially low, soon everyone is making 100′s and feeling positive about something in my class.  Since I give so many of these quizzes, I can usually drop three or four so those initial low grades get tossed out.

Make it clear that failure isn’t fatal.  If a student has completed all assignments and shown evidence of studying, I will allow them to re-take a test that they have failed in order to achieve a higher grade.  They also have to write an essay explaining how they will improve their study methods in order to do better on future tests.

Provide special tutorials for the weakest students.  At least once a week, offer a tutorial for students who are clearly lacking some prerequisite skill or who have been struggling with a topic.  While most of my tutorials are open to every student, these are by invitation only.  It might be a chance to fill in holes in foundation, provide extra practice on problems similar to those they will see on an upcoming test or to preview a topic they will see in the near future so they can feel ahead of the stronger students instead of perpetually behind.

Ask students for feedback.  Some of my best ideas have come from students.  Ask them what else they think you can do to provide greater success.  When they see that you are honestly seeking ways to help them be successful, they will want to work all that much harder.  Check in with them on a regular basis and warn them as you make changes.  “In the past, I offered an AP question as extra credit.  Starting in two weeks, those will be a regular part of your assessment.”  The communication has to flow in both directions in order for both you and the students to make improvements.

I have a lot of readers out there and I know this is a busy time, but I hope everyone could offer one quick suggestion to this teacher.  Here’s the rest of her note:

I have been reading your blog and I have found so many great ideas and am so excited that someone else out there is interested in making AP courses more inclusive. Thanks for taking the time to put your ideas and experience out there for people like me to benefit from!

There is a whole community out there who are committed to building more inclusive AP courses.  We have a lot we can learn from one another.  We can definitely all beneft from one another’s ideas, so make a comment now!

 

 

 

Assembling a Confidence Toolkit for the AP Exam

In my last post, I described how I had my students write a motivational phrase on a post-it note to put on their desk during their AP practice exam.  One student wrote, “What would Oprah do?”  Oprah is one of the hardest working people I can think of and constantly implores people to be their very best selves.  I love her magazine and the most recent issue was devoted to the topic of CONFIDENCE.  As I read the articles, I thought about how many of my students are not aggressive and confident enough in their own abilities to earn their best possible score on the AP exam.  They have the knowledge, but will they be willing to put it on display in a timed and high pressure situation?

One article in particular interested me and it had to do with assembling a confidence toolkit, something I will ask my students to do during the next week or so.  This toolkit might be a collection of actual objects or simply some things to think about as they endeavor to take on one of the most challenging tasks many of them have ever attempted.  Into this toolkit, I will encourage them to add the following items.

Proof that you can be bold.  Find a token of a time when you did something that was really hard for you.  It might be a finishers’ ribbon for your first 5k run or a ticket stub from the first time you flew on an airplane.

A photo of someone who wants you to do well.  It might be a parent or other relative who wants the best for you or your best friend who always has your back.  If no one else comes to mind, a picture of your AP teacher who has worked with you all year to make sure you are prepared for this exam.

A symbol of a new endeavor.  I am thinking here of a bumper sticker or t-shirt for the college you plan to attend next year.  Having these AP credits will definitely get you off to a good start.

A token of improvement.  Did you increase your score on the AP practice tests we took in class or ace one of the recent free response questions that we tried?  Find something to remind yourself of how far you have come this year.

A biography, profile or photo of your idol.  Maybe it’s Jackie Robinson or General Douglas MacArthur.  Think of a person who is your personal hero and the qualities the person has that you admire.  If they did great and difficult things, then you can too!

An invitation to an upcoming social event.  What fun event awaits you on the other side of this AP exam?  Maybe it’s prom or a graduation party or a trip you will be taking this summer.

Something to remind you of a time when you were there for someone.  Who have you helped this year in your AP class?  Maybe you studied with them or loaned them your notes when they had been absent.  That person is wanting you to do well.

It’s important to fill the AP students’ brains with the knowledge they need to be successful, but it’s also important to fill their heart and their spirit with the confidence to put that knowledge to use.  As the AP exams get closer, please share other ideas that you use to increase students’ motivation and confidence.  After my last post, a reader sent a really interesting idea so look for their comment and then add some of your own.

Running to Improve My AP Scores

When my students returned after winter break, I issued a challenge for all of them to take the AP exam on May 8 and explained that I would be challenging myself by preparing to run a 5k next fall.  If you knew how spectacularly un-athletic I am, you would realize how truly daunting a task I have set for myself.  I showed the kids a photo of myself on the first day I attempted to run around the elementary school track near my house, resplendent in my new running shoes.  The second photo showed me prone on the ground a short while later.  I am happy to report that I have been walking and running pretty consistently over the last three months and have improved tremendously.  I don’t think Usain Bolt has anything to worry about YET.  Teachers do all kinds of crazy things to inspire their students and I think it’s important to think about how the things that we do can impact student performance.

1.  We are role models.  If we want our students to be risk takers who are willing to take a challenging exam, even when there is a chance of not doing well, then we need to show we are willing to do the same.  Taking on difficult tasks (that some of my students might find easy) shows that I am more like them than they might think.

2.  Setting specific and measurable goals.  On May 9, I have promised the students I will run around the track at the high school to celebrate the completion of their AP exam on May 8.  They ask me often how my running is going and I am happy to report my very incremental improvement.  I have now reset my goal to run around the track TWICE.  As they take their AP practice exams, I ask each of them to set a personal goal to improve over their previous performance or to beat the average on the free response questions.  They seem to enjoy working toward those definite goals and try to help one another improve.  They compete against themselves rather than against one another.

3.  All difficult tasks require stamina and determination that can carry over to other difficult tasks.  As I was running the other night, I was thinking about the importance of positive self-talk.  When I am running, I will tell myself “this is difficult, but you can do it” or near the end of my run “just keep going!”  Today, just before students started their practice tests, I passed out post-it notes and asked them to write themselves a message to inspire them to keep going when the test got hard.  I was fascinated by what they wrote:  “Si, se puede!”  “You are smart.  Now prove it.”  “College credit.”  “Make your father proud.”  I plan to tape the notes up on an unused chalkboard in my room.

4.  Fun matters.  Students appreciate it when they see their teachers doing goofy things to inspire them.  It makes them want to work harder.  I have a good friend in Houston who allows his students to shave a representation of a 5 into his hair (dyed blue, the school color) every year prior to the AP exam.  He has had a mohawk with five spikes, an outline of a hand with five fingers spread out, a roman numeral V, etc.  As much as I want to work hard this spring and have the students work hard toward their goal of doing well on the AP exam, I want them to have a good time and enjoy the spring of their senior year.  If laughing a little bit at my expense lessens the stress of studying, then that’s fine.

5.  Success can be measured in many different ways.  Running a 5k seems like an almost impossible task to me at this poing, just as earning a 5 on the AP exam seems almost impossible to some of my students.  I need to keep working toward that goal though.  If I fall short, as some of my students will as well, I will still be far better off for having tried than if I had maintained my couch potato ways.  The process of preparing for and taking the AP exam is important in and of itself, regardless of what score is earned.  I have told the kids that I will never win a trophy or medal for running.  When I get that finishers’ ribbon at the end of the 5k, I am going to be incredibly  proud of myself.  I want my students to feel that same pride when they walk out of the testing room on May 8.

The AP exam is just over a month away.  If you have interesting ways that you inspire your students to study and do well, send me a comment and I will publish it!  Keep running toward your goals and enjoy the terrain along the way.

 

What Makes a Successful AP Program

Recently, I was in Washington DC for an event sponsored by the College Board and the US Department of Education for schools that have been awarded grants to build their AP programs. I spoke on a panel alongside one of my former students, now a math major at Howard University. In preparing for the event, we had to write up a one pager to summarize the factors that we thought were most important to the success of our AP program. I have copied that here for you to consider.

Student Support Services: Raising Achievement for Underserved Students
We are from Pflugerville High School, a 2300 student high school with a rural history, suburban location and urban demographic. Our AP participation has increased from less than 100 exams given in 2000 to over 1000 in 2012, with strong performance in all subject areas.
What are the factors and practices that have produced our success?
• Ours is a district-wide effort encompassing three high schools and the five (soon to be six) feeder middle schools. There are clearly identified roles and leadership.

• We have broadly adopted the preAP concept and provide time for vertical teaming.

• We dig deep to find students capable of being successful in AP classes using AP Potential, AP Ambassadors, alternative pathways and unusual entry points. We look for strength based on both data and personality and don’t adhere to rigid guidelines.

• Our teachers are trained, we adopt best practices and we make deliberate use of College Board, LTF (Laying the Foundation) and NSMI workshops and materials.

• Our teachers understand the necessity of both challenging and supporting students. They are not AP students when they enter our classrooms so we make an effort to fill the gaps, have clearly identified and understood safety nets and provide extra time on task through both tutorials and Saturday prep sessions. Challenge lies in our level of expectations, our attention to detail and clear communication rather than in quantity of work or in the grading scale.

• We keep the focus on the students and their ultimate success and celebrate our achievements at every opportunity we get.

If you want to learn more about what we do at PHS, please google Dixie Ross AP Lead Teacher to find the blog that I write about increasing access to and equity in AP programs.

Building the AP Program Keeps Us Busy!

I have not added a new post to my blog in quite some time and I feel bad about that, but I am sure readers understand how busy teaching can keep a person!  I also don’t have much new to report.  Having kept up this blog for several years, I have written about most of the activities that we do to build and maintain an inclusive and supportive AP program.  Right now, Mr. G, our new AP Advocate, and I are busy getting ready for our annual AP Scholar breakfast that I first wrote about on January 11, 2010.  We are hoping for a great turnout this year and are looking forward to seeing our graduates and hearing how AP has helped them make a successful transition to college.  We also have our PSAT results and are getting ready to use those.  See my post from January 4, 2010 to learn more about that.

Since it is the beginning of a new year, you might want to check out New Year’s AP Resolution from December 31, 2010 or A Mid Year Assessment of Your AP Program (December 12, 2011) or My To-Do List for Improving Our AP Program (January 3, 2012).

I hope the new year finds you with a new resolve to help more students reap the benefits of the AP program.  Perhaps some of what I have written will be helpful to you.  I have a new post planned for later this month, but would love to hear from my readers some suggestions for topics or issues that I might be able to address.  Enjoy some of these older posts, but let me know what new things I should write about.  I really hope to hear from you!  Have a wonderful 2013!

Introducing: Our New AP Advocate

Long time readers of my blog will know that I have filled a dual role in my school district for a number of years.  I am the math content lead for the district, working with math teachers in grades 6-12 at three high schools and five middle schools to build our AP math classes, and also the AP advocate for my own campus, working with administrators, teachers and students to improve participation, performance and diversity in all of our AP courses and to support other measures of academic excellence.  I have enjoyed both roles, but strongly believe that the more leaders we can develop, the better our program will be.  So, I sought out someone to take over the AP advocate position and found the perfect candidate in Mr. G, our AP English Literature teacher.  Mr. G is young and energetic and has had great success in his AP teaching over the last few years.  For this year, we are doing the job together so that the transition will be a smooth one, but within one or two years, I fully expect that he will no longer need my advice or assistance.

Throughout this year, I will put up posts describing the things we are working on so that you get a better understanding of the work that we do in trying to build a very inclusive and successful AP program.  I will also refer back to previous posts that might be of interest to my readers.  As always, please feel free to suggest topics or to ask questions that I might be able to address in a future post.

We are now three weeks into our school year.  Mr. G and I are already planning our AP Scholar breakfast which will take place on January 11.  To learn more about this event, look at my post from January 2010.  Last week we also held our first meeting of our AP Ambassadors’ group, a student organization that we sponsor to serve as the “face” of our AP program and to help us recruit traditionally under-represented students.  More details about that group are available in a September 2009 blog post.  We had a great turnout of seniors, but definitely need to recruit juniors for our next meeting.  We are also waiting to get more information on which students will be recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.  We will be hosting a surprise breakfast and celebration for those students and their parents in early October so that our current juniors will better understand the importance of doing well on the October 17 PSAT.  In order to make sure that we have a large group of students to recognize next year, Mr. G and I are planning some special tutorials for kids who scored well on the PSAT as sophomore last year.  For the next four Wednesdays, he and I will take turns working with those students.  For more information on how we use our PSAT results, check out the blog post from January 2010.

As you can see, Mr. G and I are busy doing all of this in addition to our full-time teaching responsibilities and the other activities that we sponsor while also trying to make time for our families and our own children.  I want to state publicly how fortunate I feel to have someone of Mr. G’s passion and commitment to share the hard work of building our AP program.  I know many of my readers are also working hard to accomplish the same thing so I want to challenge you to find someone else on your campus with whom you can share the workload.  Having two people more than doubles the possibilities as each person offers their unique perspective and skills to the endeavor.

Creating AP Students

Now that Labor Day is past, most of us are back in our classrooms and beginning a new school year. I hope that all of us have students who are going to struggle in our classes this year. If you don’t have those students, then perhaps consider that the door to your AP classroom is not open wide enough. During these first weeks of school, I hope we can keep a particular eye on those students who have taken on the challenge of an AP class and provide them with the additional support to be successful.

Some students might need additional time to process the material.

Some might need specific instruction in study skills that other students have
already mastered.

Some might have holes in their foundation that need to be filled.

Our job is not just to teach those who come to us already successful and well prepared to learn. Our job is to take those who are willing and provide them with what they need to become successful over the course of the year. I will never forget the teacher who dismissed a group of kids by saying, “They are simply not AP students.”

I managed to reply (without shouting, testament to my tremendous anger control), “They’re not supposed to be AP students when they come in the door in September. That’s your job. You make them into AP students by the time they walk out the door in May.”

Think about your classroom policies and practices that help students to become AP students. I met a wonderful AP teacher in Pasadena, TX this summer who told me about her invitation-only tutorial sessions, targeting students who might not come in for extra help otherwise. When is the last time you extended a personal, hand-written invitation to a particular student rather than just posting available tutorial times on the whiteboard?

Think about classroom engagement. Do you try to get participation from every student in the room or just take the usual, vocal volunteers? How do you ensure that everyone is with you and understanding the lesson? As much as we are eager to question our students, we also need to question ourselves. Are we really doing what we can to help each student fully develop their academic potential?

It’s late and there are papers to grade. I want to wish everyone in my reading audience a wonderful year full of the hard and important work that will make a difference in the lives of these children. If you are reading this, you are someone who obviously does more than the minimal requirement. Those kids are lucky to have you as their teacher.

Under-Representation in the Advanced Placement Classroom

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about the issue of under-representation of certain sub-groups in Advanced Placement courses. In giving a presentation in my own district last year, I used a particularly dramatic example that I will now share with you. The United States’ population is about 12.9% African American and only about 4.4% Asian. Last year, there were 9572 Asian students who earned a 5 (highest possible score) on the AP Calculus BC exam. I asked my audience, “So how many African-American students scored at that level?” Now, I believe to the bottom of my soul that mathematics ability is distributed equally amongst all groups. I am also realistic enough to realize that it hasn’t always been developed equally so we know the number is going to be much lower than the expected value of 27,765. My audience threw out some guesses: “10,000?” offered the most hopeful. “4000?” “Maybe 2000?” guessed the more pessimistic.

Wait for it. The actual number is 390. My audience sat in stunned silence. When I think of the vast reservoir of undeveloped talent, it turns my stomach and makes my heart ache. Students who don’t have access to advanced levels of coursework face the prospect of lower freshman college GPA, less persistence in pursuing their college degrees, or a much longer and more expensive route to their degree. The social, political and economic implications of this under-development are enormous. If you are not moved by the tragedy of unfulfilled potential for some of these individual students, then you must surely be bothered by the cost to our society.

So, as I am feeling tremendously bummed out by this situation, I begin watching the Olympic coverage from London and am buoyed by what I am hearing from there. 29 of the 46 gold medals that the United States won were by female athletes. For the first time in Olympic history, our delegation included more female athletes than male and every single one of the 204 countries that were competing had at least one female there representing their country. You have to remember that when I was in high school (not that long ago!!), girls were still playing half-court basketball because they were thought to be too delicate to play the full-court version. College scholarships for female athletes were virtually non-existent and those who chose to play sports were often derided by their peers. Every girl was counseled to “let the boys win” so as not to appear “unfeminine.” What a load of hooey.

And then things changed. So, what happened? First, a small, but brave group of girls stepped forward and demanded an opportunity to play. Title IX legislation was passed and implemented. Parents supported their daughters’ goals and threatened to go to court if necessary to give them what they deserved. Schools and colleges had to pay attention to the make-up of their athletic population. Cheerleading, which has previously been about cheering for the boys’ teams, became an athletic competition in its own right and also began recruiting males. Everyone should have a chance to develop their talents and their passions—whether those are athletic or academic.

And that brings us back to our AP classes. How closely do the demographics of your AP program (in terms of gender, ethnicity and SES status) match the demographics of your school? If there is under-representation of some groups, what can you do about it this year to begin making the situation better? Let me be absolutely clear that I am not advocating a lowering of standards. (I always get a bunch of comments with that accusation whenever I blog about this issue.) I want us to develop policies and strategies that will help more students to meet our standards so they can enjoy the many benefits that AP classes offer. In my next blog post, I want to share a few ideas that I have, but would love to hear more suggestions from my reading audience. With our collective energy and experience, we can change this situation and give more students their deserved “gold medal opportunity” in our classes.

Using A Course Evaluation to Improve AP Instruction

As the year draws to a close, many of us are eager to head off for summer vacation and leave this year behind.  I think it’s important, however, to take some time to reflect on the year past and determine ways to improve your AP course in the future.  Being reflective about your practice is definitely the mark of a teacher who strives for improvement, one of the many qualities we see to instill in our students.  Asking students to fill out an end of year survey is one of the tools teachers can use to provide fodder for that reflection.  The survey below and the following rationale were provided by Paul Forester, AP teacher extraordinaire, recently retired from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Please answer the following questions. This will give you a chance to
consolidate your thoughts on what it is that you have learned this year.
It will also provide information for improving the course next year. It is
preferable that you do not sign this sheet.

1) What is the one most important thing you have learned as a result of
taking this course?

2) What was the most interesting part of the course?

3) What was the most difficult part to understand?

4) What (excluding the instructor!) should be changed the next time the
course is taught?

=====

Here are some annotations explaining the wording of the questions and some
responses I typically get.

Length: The questionnaire is deliberately short, so that students can
complete it in five minutes or less, usually at the end of the last day of
class.

Intro. paragraph: Explains the purpose of the questionnaire. The reason
for not signing the sheet is that students will be more candid with any
negative comments they may have if their anonymity is preserved.

Paragraph (1): I deliberately limit them to one thing only (although some
out-of-the-box thinkers go ahead and write more than one). Because a
number of students complete the questionnaire, I get a number of different
“important things” in response without having the students get bogged down
in multiple answers. The words “as a result of taking this course” are
deliberately chosen to give students the latitude of giving non-content
information, such as “I learned the importance of keeping up with
homework,” or “I learned to keep my pencil moving on tests,” or “I learned
never to give up.”

Paragraph (2): Sequenced as #2 to have something good for them to respond
to early in the questionnaire. The responses give me some insight on what
not to change next year.

Paragraph (3): The words, “… to understand” are deliberately used to
steer students to a mathematical topic. In BC Calculus the response is
usually “series,” although students often follow up by saying things like,
“… but I finally caught on.”

Paragraph (4): This question comes last so that students will have had
time to think about other things first. Responses are sometimes trivial
like, “easier tests,” and sometimes conflicting, like “more explorations,”
“fewer explorations.” But often they point out things I really need to
address the following year. The clause, “excluding the instructor” usually
draws a laugh!

 

I love the simplicity of Paul’s approach and appreciate greatly his sharing of this tool.  I think it’s a good idea to have a student collect the surveys, put them in a sealed envelope to be opened well after school has ended and grades are turned in.  Don’t be defensive as you read the responses, but consider ways that you can address issues that are raised or make more transparent to the students the reasoning behind some of your decisions.

 

If you have any good tools that you use to improve your AP class, please share them by posting a comment.  Until next time, I hope you have a very smooth end to your school year!

More Fun Ways to Review for the AP Exam

Just had dinner with a very good friend and outstanding AP teacher from Houston.  During dinner we discussed some fun things we do/have done in the past to help kids prepare for the exam.  Here are a few ideas. 

T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) Activity:  Regular readers of this blog know that I do everything I can think of to get my kids to work together and talk to one another about the material.  I truly believe (and research backs me up) that you solidify your understanding of things when you have to explain to someone else.  This week, my students took a mock exam and have gotten back their multiple choice and free response.  About 2/3 of them could take the AP exam tomorrow and do great, but about 1/3 still have significant work to do.  I went over the 6 most commonly missed multiple choice questions in each class and did one of the free response questions (a different one in each class).  We didn’t have much class time this week due to state-mandated testing.  They have to correct every other problem they missed by working with classmates.  For the next week, they will keep a record sheet where they will record what and with whom they are studying.  As they work together, they will add to that record sheet:

_______________(fill in name) taught me how to ________________ (fill in skill or topic learned) and get that person’s signature. 

I taught ________________(fill in name) all about ________________(fill in skill or topic) and again get that person’s signature. 

When they hand in their record sheet, they need to have signatures of at LEAST five different people.  They must have helped at least two different people and be helped by two different people.  I am encouraging them to use this as an opportunity to expand their social circle and work with and talk to kids they might not know too well.  I have kids who have vowed to bring me 20 signatures next week.

70′s Day:  I had forgotten about this until my dinner companion reminded me and told me about his additions to the idea.  Basically, the kids are in groups and have to choose a group name and symbol reflecting the 70′s (Disco Queens, Bicentenniel Bozos, whatever).  A team can get extra points if someone comes dressed appropriate to the era, brings music or food that was popular at that time.  We alternate working AP free response questions from the 70′s and doing 70′s trivia.  My friend has also done an 80′s Day with a similar approach.  You know you’re old when your own high school days become the kids’ nostalgia.

Chalk Talk:  I got this idea from our fabulous AP Economics teacher.  On the Saturday before her exam, she meets the kids up at the school and divides them into groups, giving each group a bucket of sidewalk chalk.  Each group works out a different free response question on the school parking lot and then they go around to learn what each of the other groups has written.

 

Our AP classes should be challenging AND fun!  If you have a creative idea you use to review for the AP exam, send me a comment and I will post it!