EDUCATION
State onors MP
AP Success
BY DIANE GLIDEWELL is using for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes in its emphasis
Mary Persons High School in preparing students for jobs was recognized by the in today’ s workforce. AP STEM schools offer AP courses and state of Georgia in 2012 for testing in at least two math having one of the best Advanced Placement programs courses and two science courses. AP STEM Achievement schools have at least in the state, with 330 students in AP Classes.
40 percent of AP math and AP stands for advanced science exam takers earning placement classes, classes scores of 3 or better, which is
Hfor
Mary Persons High School staff
that give students opportunities to earn college credit by achieving passing scores on nationally standardized tests in the subjects.
Mary Persons was recognized by the state as an AP STEM school and an AP STEM Achievement School. STEM is the acronym the state the level most colleges require for credit.
The Georgia Department of Education lists about 88 schools, out of more than 400 high schools in the state, that were named AP STEM Achievement Schools.
Teachers must receive course-specific certification
to teach AP classes, which give students the experience of what to expect from college courses: more individual effort, few daily assignments or grades, more reading, the need to retain all course material for a comprehensive exam. Students acquire knowledge and study skills that will benefit them at the college level, but they may have to sacrifice some points on their grade point averages, and much of their free time, in order to accept the challenge.
“ It takes a lot of time and effort to be an AP student,” said MP principal Jim Finch.
Finch said that over the four years he has been principal, the program has grown from about 250 students to 334 students last term. Mary Persons added AP classes in environmental science and U. S. government & politics this year and plans to add an AP economics class next year.
During 2011-12, Mary Persons offered 11 AP classes, including chemistry, calculus, English literature, English language, U. S. history, European history, world history, biology, and statistics. Finch said that at least 22 teachers on his faculty have completed AP certification, even though not all are teaching AP classes. He noted that, like in all classes, the teachers are the key to successful AP classes.
Not all students who complete AP courses take the exams for college credit. The exams are administered by the College Board, the same organization which administers SAT tests for college admis- sion. AP exams receive a score between 1-5; scores of 3, 4, and 5 are accepted for course credit at almost all schools within the University of Georgia system. Nationally, requirements for AP college credit varies by institution.
Each AP exam costs a student $ 87. Finch pointed out that the investment is worthwhile when the student is able to save $ 1,500 or more in tuition for the same class.
Morgan Marsh, a 2012 graduate planning to pursue a degree in nursing or medical school, took four AP classes. She said a student has to know how to set priorities to succeed in AP classes.“ Last year I lived and breathed textbooks, especially biology,” she said.“ You can’ t get behind. It is so hard to cover 50 chapters, but I don’ t regret taking it at all.”
Taylor Penn, another 2012 graduate, had a course load that includes three AP classes her senior year. She described the difference between AP classes and the regular high school curriculum as more challenging, more papers, and more projects. She completed one AP class her freshman year and two AP classes her junior year, and earned a rare five-point score on one of her AP exams last year. She said the AP classes on her high school transcript have been an asset in her college applications.
Joshua Mays, a senior, took two AP classes last year and took his first AP class in ninth grade. He said the AP
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