CMS wants to boost student enrollment in AP courses. Two teachers have solutions.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is making gradual gains in the percentage of high school students completing at least one college-level course by graduation, but the district wants more.
A pair of Charlotte educators who teach advanced placement courses say the best way to draw more students is exposure to the classes, testimonials from those who have taken college-level classes and building confidence in teens.
“Awareness, (accessibility) and motivation are the keys for getting more kids interested in taking AP courses,” said Myers Park High teacher Shoufen Jacobson, who has taught advanced computer science courses for more than six years. “First, to get more students, especially the under-represented group students into AP classes, we need to begin dialogues among all the stakeholders, through which we are hopeful to generate consensus and buy-ins that students who take AP courses will most likely be successful in college and career.”
This school year, CMS’ push for advanced course participation has included an increased offering of after-school sessions, which were advertised through teachers, email, social media and on school websites. The district also wants to identify students with the potential to succeed in advanced courses, recruit students through events and adult encouragement, provide support and build schedules to make it easier for students to sign up. Other examples include advanced placement-focused seminars and fairs as well as summer preparation programs, Jacobson said.
Just shy of goal
As part of its 2024 strategic plan goals, CMS wants to raise the percentage of students who have completed or are on track to complete at least one college-level course by graduation from 47% in October 2017 to 75% by October 2024.
In April, a report presented to the school board showed 61.5% of students have passed or are on track to pass a college-level or advanced placement course this school year — just shy of the 2021-22 goal of 65%.
“Based on current performance, we are projected to complete the school year near, but slightly off-track,” Frank Barnes, CMS’ chief accountability officer told school board members.
As of April 6, 9,616 seniors were enrolled in a college-level or advanced placement course.
“(We need to) make sure we have multiple instruments to get students into those advanced courses,” Barnes told the board. “(Maybe we) broaden our definition of who may be ready, instead of relying on one test score. We need to identify adults in the school trusted to push students into those courses.”
CMS saw gains in multiple subgroups this year: 82.9% of Asian 12-grade students have passed or on track to pass a college level or advanced placement course compared to 80.8% in 2021; 51.8% of Black students have passed or on track to pass compared to 43.3% in 2021; 52.2% of Hispanic students have passed or on track to pass compared to 48.4% in 2021; and 81.9% of white students have passed or on track to pass compared to 77.4% in 2021.
College-level or advanced placement courses include AP, IB, dual-enrollment and Cambridge courses.
IB, or international baccalaureate courses, follow a curriculum created by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). The state’s dual-enrollment program for high school students, called Career and College Promise, allows students to enroll in college classes at North Carolina’s community colleges and universities.
What else do students need?
Deborah Brown teaches advanced placement English literature and composition at Julius Chambers High School. It’s her first year teaching the course, but she’s taught advanced placement English language and composition for seven years.
“Allow a student to sit in on a class, participate alongside other AP students,” she said, “so they can see what a day in the life of an AP student looks like.”
Brown was one of the teachers who provided students extra after-school help. She said students who took advantage of the help needed more thoughtful, critical analysis of a text, or close reading. She said they also needed diction analysis and vocabulary enrichment. She saw a need for increased “overall student confidence with processing text.”
Jacobson said students need stronger daily classroom instruction and peer-to-peer support groups at school or district level.
“This will help grow strong AP communities for the students to collaborate, communicate, exchange ideas, and generate social and emotional support for their academic success,” Jacobson said.
Jacobson said the district should also provide seminars to families to help them know what advanced placement courses are offered. The district also should share testimonials of college students and employees who were CMS advanced placement students, especially from under-represented student groups.
“Their success stories will be more persuasive and motivate them to join AP courses,” Jacobson said.
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 7:42 AM.
