Pre-Advanced Placement

Tricia Renner, Director of State and Legislative Outreach, Midwest Region

Deana Rainey, TeacherMonroe Middle SchoolOmaha, Nebraska

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The College Board

The College Board’s mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity.

We are a not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education.

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Some Key Benefits of AP

• AP courses establish a college-level standard in secondary schools that is measured through a national assessment designed and scored by college faculty.

• Students who take AP Exams and score a 3 or higher typically experience greater academic success and college graduation rates than non-AP students.

• AP courses expose college-bound students to the amounts of homework, study skills, and habits of mind essential for success in college courses.

• AP provides leverage for aligning and strengthening the grades 6-12 curriculum.

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What is Pre-AP?

Pre-AP is a suite of K-12 professional development resources and services.

The purpose of the Pre-AP Initiative is to equip all middle and high school teachers with the strategies and tools they need to engage their students in active, high-level learning, thereby ensuring that every middle and high school student develops the skills, habits of mind, and concepts they need to succeed in college.

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Two Important Premises…

• The expectation that all students can perform at rigorous academic levels. • This expectation should be reflected in curriculum and instruction

throughout the school such that all students are consistently being challenged to expand their knowledge and skills to the next level.

• We can prepare every student for higher intellectual engagement by starting the development of skills and acquisition of knowledge as early as possible. • Addressed effectively, the middle and high school years can

provide a powerful opportunity to help all students acquire the knowledge, concepts, and skills needed to engage in a higher level of learning.

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Components of Pre-AP: Vertical Teams

• The concept of Vertical Teams incorporates the idea that the offerings of the Advanced Placement Program should not be isolated courses, but rather a planned program for teaching skills and concepts over several years.

• An AP Vertical Team is a group of teachers from different grade levels in a given discipline who work cooperatively to develop and implement a vertically aligned program aimed at helping students acquire the academic skills necessary for success in the Advanced Placement Program.

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Primary Goals of Vertical Teams

• Improve academic performance for all students in earlier grades by introducing skills and concepts needed for success in AP and other challenging courses.

• Improve performance and participation in the Advanced Placement Program.

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Major Activities of Vertical Teams• Identify and develop Pre-AP strategies

• Vertically align curriculum toward the discipline based AP standards

• Assess student progress toward the discipline-based AP standards

• Integrate CBSCS into existing standards

• Identify strategies to create a culture of high expectations and rigor

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Success Factors for AP Vertical Teams

• Local leadership

• Knowledge of AP standards and CBSCS

• Knowledge of curriculum at all grade levels

• Awareness of skills required for success in AP courses

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Administrator Support is Critical• Developing school policies the encourage

student participation in academic learning that increases the probability more students will participate in the AP Program.

• Creating time for AP Vertical Teams to meet before, during or after school.

• Coordinating meetings involving educators from several different buildings/campuses.

• Supporting on-going professional development for AP Vertical Team members and providing substitute teachers for planning days.

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Pre-AP Professional Development

• Creating and Sustaining Vertical Teams

• Classroom and Instructional Strategies

• On-line Resources

• Instructional Leadership Strategies

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For more information

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/k-12/prepare/pre-ap

or

Tricia Renner

prenner@collegeboard.org