2 College prep resources support
future-ready
students
Facing intense entrance exams,
an ultra-competitive acceptance
process and a new chapter in life,
high schoolers are under a lot of
stress when it comes to planning
for college. Luckily, Garland ISD
boasts a plethora of resources to get
students ready, including free tests,
personalized practice and tuition
assistance.
Now in its third year, the National
Math & Science Initiative (NMSI)
program shells out hard-earned cash
to students who pass Advanced
Placement (AP) exams. The program
is backed by a more than $2 million
grant from the Texas Instruments
Foundation, allowing $100 per
qualifying score. This fall, NMSI
awarded more than $50,000 to
students who earned a 3 or higher
on English, math and science AP
tests. These honorees were given the
star treatment at special pep rallies,
receiving checks, cheers and photo ops.
Supporting students’ efforts
to ace AP tests, the district hosts
Saturday study sessions several
times throughout the year. The fourhour events focus on one subject,
reinforce skills learned in the
classroom and provide testtaking tips.
connected
Participants not only receive
transportation from each high school
to the study location but snacks and
the chance to win door prizes as well.
In addition to inspiring and
rewarding academic success, AP tests
also provide students the opportunity
to obtain college credit during high
school, which can pad pocketbooks
even more. In 2015-16, the district
began footing the bill for all AP exams.
“Fees can range from $17-120,” said
Advanced Academics Administrator
Kristyn Edney. “This may not be
affordable. We are excited to give
every student the chance to both
save money now and in college.”
Because taking the PSAT and SAT
prove essential in the path to college,
GISD promotes Khan Academy—a
free resource that provides practice
exercises, instructional videos and
a personalized learning dashboard.
Accessible by those in sixth-12th
grade, Khan Academy can also
be linked to College Board—the
organization responsible for the SAT
and AP program. GISD’s partnership
with Khan Academy has led to 100
percent of secondary student accounts
linked, according to College Board
Senior Director Amanda Dawson.
PSAT and SAT prep has even
morphed into special one-day events
in GISD. Every eighth-11th grader
takes the PSAT for free in October.
Juniors also participate in SAT School
Day in March. To help train for these
important dates, students can attend
free PSAT/SAT boot camps at their
home campuses. Spring and fall
sessions feature a pre-test, 12 lessons
and a post-test.
With the variety of support and
resources available, it comes as no
surprise that benefits are already
being noticed. In 2016, approximately
5,000 students took nearly 11,000 AP
exams. Those numbers show a 180
percent and 221 percent increase
from 2013, respectively. Average PSAT
and SAT scores show an increasing
trend as well.