Preparing for Success in College, Career, and Life

The Opportunities, Realities, and Value of AP and PLTW Courses

What is Advanced Placement?

Developed and maintained through the College Board

Nationally Recognized Rigorous Curriculum College level courses aligned to best practices and

expectations

Culminate with Rigorous Examinations Incorporate higher-order and critical thinking skills

AP Course Offered at NFHS/FPS AP Biology (Lab/Lecture) AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Chemistry (Lab/Lecture) AP Comparative Govt & Pol AP Economics Macro AP Economics Micro AP English Language AP English Literature AP Environmental Science

AP European History AP French Language 5 AP Physics C (Lab/Lecture) AP Psychology AP Spanish Language 5 AP Statistics AP U.S. Govt & Pol AP U.S. History AP World History

What is Project Lead The Way? Developed and maintained through PLTW and the support of

the Kern Family Foundation

Rigorous, college level curricula combined with a hands-on learning environment

Focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Culminate in rigorous examinations and project based performance assessment

PLTW Courses Offered

Intro to Engineering Design (Currently offered)

Principles of Engineering (Currently Offered)

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (Potentially Offered)

Civil Engineering and Architecture (Potentially Offered)

Digital Electronics Aerospace Engineering Biotechnical Engineering Engineering Design and Development

Architectural Design & Construction

Engineering & Design Technology

PLTW Contact

Mark Skodack - mark.skodack@farmington.k12.mi.us

Additional College Level Options

Dual Enrollment

Calculus 3 (Potentially)

The AP Experience

Why Should You Pursue and Complete AP and PLTW Coursework?

Will Things Ever Again Be the Way They Were?

“Up until the '70s, you could come to the city without education,

without speaking English, and get a job in the auto industry and

instantly be in the middle class, economically speaking,” said Mike

Stewart, director of Wayne State's Walter P. Reuther Library and an

expert on the auto industry. “A lot of folks in the city depended on these

jobs for generations — they don't exist anymore,” he said. “A lot of

Detroiters are unprepared, educationally and technologically, to cope.”

DAVID CRARY and COREY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writers, December 2008

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How can we prepare students to face this new future?

We need to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to get into, and successfully complete, college

Key Characteristics of US College Prep System

Dependent on access to designated courses (college prep

curriculum) privileged knowledge (how the system

actually works) specialized supports (help with

application and financial aid process)

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Also dependent on significant student self-reliance, motivation,

perseverance family and community support ability to make a successful transition to a new

“culture”: the environment of postsecondary education with new roles, rules, and expectations

In short, it is not easy for students to be prepared for, get into, and succeed in college

Why Is It Important for More Students to Be College and Career Ready?

Two-thirds of high school grads go directly to college, three-quarters within five years of graduation The numbers are forecasted to continue

to increase

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Large numbers end up in remedial courses or fail to persist beyond the first year From 20% to 80%, depending on the

institution type, end up in remediation

First-generation college attendees comprise a disproportionate number of remedial placements and non-persisters

The proportion of first-generation college attendees will continue to increase as far into the future as we can project

All students need: A different kind of college preparation Access to “privileged knowledge” Greater confidence in their own abilities Greater confidence that they are prepared

A New Definition of College-Ready

The level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed—without remediation—in credit-bearing general education courses that meet requirements for a baccalaureate degree

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“Succeed” is defined as completing entry-level courses at a level of understanding and proficiency sufficient to: pass a subsequent course in the subject

area apply course knowledge to another

subject area

This definition presents the NFHS Community with a clear target for preparation: Apply expectations students will encounter

in first-year college courses, including students pursuing technical education in the post-secondary plans

Accessibility

Open Enrollment for AP

4 Key Dimensions of College Readiness

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Download at:www.epiconline.org

Performances of College-ready Students• Write a 3-5 page research paper that is

structured around a cogent, coherent line of reasoning

• Read with understanding a range of non-fiction publications, textbooks, and technical materials

• Produce written products that are consistently free of grammatical and spelling errors and that reflect proper writing conventions

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• Employ fundamentals of algebra fluently to solve multi-step and non-routine problems

• Collect and analyze data precisely and accurately

• Interpret conflicting explanations of an event or phenomenon

• Evaluate the credibility of sources

Performances of College-ready Students

Performances of College-ready Students

• Punctually attend a study group outside of class

• Create and maintain a personal schedule that includes a to-do list with prioritized tasks and appointments

• Complete successfully a problem or assignment that requires about two weeks of independent work and extensive research

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• Utilize key technological tools including appropriate online and desktop applications

• Locate websites containing information on colleges, the admissions process, and financial aid

• Present an accurate self-assessment of readiness for college

Performances of College-ready Students

Lessons Learned from This Research

Few high school students are fully ready in all four dimensions of college readiness

Readiness requires the development of strategies that must be practiced and honed throughout high school

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Students should be challenged cognitively even if they are still developing their literacy and language skills

Student support programs must help prepare students to be successful, not just be there when they are struggling

Lessons Learned from This Research

What AP is Like

Key Principles of College Readiness Principle 1: Create and maintain a college-going culture

in the school

Principle 2: Create a core academic program that is aligned with and leads to college readiness by the end of 12th grade

Principle 3: Teach key self-management skills, require students to use them, and provide students with feedback on how well they are developing these skills

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Principle 4: Make college real by preparing students for the complexity of applying to college and enrolling in an entry-level course

Principle 5: Create assignments and grading policies in high school that more closely approximate college expectations as students progress

Principle 6: Make the senior year meaningful and challenging

Principle 7: Build partnerships with and connections to postsecondary programs and institutions

Why AP or PLTW?

How Colleges View APAP course experience favorably impacts admissions decisions at 85 percent of selective colleges and universities.

“We look favorably on students who have taken AP courses. The presence of AP courses is a sign that a student has chosen to challenge him/herself.”

AP Admissions OfficerOnline Bulletin Board

What does the research say?

Examined 222,289 students from all backgrounds attending a wide range of Texas universities

Researchers found "strong evidence of benefits to students who participate in both AP courses and exams in terms of higher GPAs, credit hours earned, and four-year graduation rates."

Research on AP

Research on AP

Predictive Relationship between AP Enrollment and Performance and College Readiness as a Success Measure

• For students who took no AP classes in high school

- 17% will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in college

• For students who took at least one AP course but did not take an AP exam- 37% will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in college

Predictive Relationship between AP Enrollment and Performance and College Readiness as a Success Measure

• For students who took at least one AP course, took the exam, but did not pass the exam (scored a 1 or 2)- 42% will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in college

Predictive Relationship between AP Enrollment and Performance and College Readiness as a Success Measure

• For students who took at least one AP course, took the exam, and passed the exam (scored a 3, 4, or 5)- 64% will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in college

Predictive Relationship between AP Enrollment and Performance and College Readiness as a Success Measure

The Benefits of AP

Success for All StudentsAccording to the National Center for Educational Accountability:

An AP Exam grade, and a grade of 3 or higher in particular, is a strong predictor of a student’s ability to persist in college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

AP and Diversity

Students Who Participate

Outperform their peers when placed into advanced courses

Are more likely to take advanced courses in their AP subject areas

Are more likely to choose challenging majors

Are more likely to graduate with a double major

Are twice as likely to go into advanced study

Sources College Board. http://www.collegeboard.com

AP 50 Years: Higher Standards, Higher Learning. 2005. DVD. Directed by Ethan Vogt.

New York, NY: Furnace Media, 2005.

Conley, David T. College Knowledge: How to Get Students Ready to Succeed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2005.

Conley, D.T. “Redefining College Readiness.” Educational Policy & Improvement Center. Retrieved on February 12 (2009): 2010.

Conley, D. T. “Toward a more comprehensive conception of college readiness.” Educational Policy & Improvement Center. Retrieved on July 2 (2007): 2008.

Conley, D. T. “The challenge of college readiness.” Leadership (2007).

Conley, D. T, and P. C Trusts. Understanding University Success: A Report from Standards for Success: a Project of the Association of American Universities and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Center for Educational Policy Research, 2003.

Hargrove, L., D. Godin, and B. Dodd. College outcomes comparisons by AP and non-AP high school experiences. New York: The College Board, 2008.

Dougherty, C., L. Mellor, S. Jian, and others. “The relationship between Advanced Placement and college graduation.” National Center for Educational Accountability. NCEA Study Series Report 1 (2005).