Published: November 05, 2009 10:34 pm      

Rising to the challenge: More JHS students getting college credit through Advanced Placement exams

Ashley Bishop, 17, is balancing a series of clubs, student council and a part-time job all while taking five Advanced Placement courses this year at Jeffersonville High School.

“I don’t sleep!” Bishop explained as to how she fits everything into her day. “For college, the more rigorous the curriculum, the better your chances of testing out and not having to take the class, because college is so expensive already.”

Bishop is one of many students taking Advanced Placement courses at JHS, which allows students to take a test at the end of the course. If

they score high enough, they can receive college credit. Last year, 281 students signed up for the harder classes. In 2002 that number was only 57.

Encouraging more students to sign up for AP classes is something Principal Steve Morris has been working toward. He said the school has been working to offer more AP choices and identify and recommend more students who could handle the curriculum.

The school has also gone from students taking 92 AP exams with 25 percent receiving a passing score in 2002 to 384 exams last year with 43 percent passing, Morris said.

“We have kids that graduate from Jeffersonville High School with 15, 18, 21 college credit hours, which is a great thing to have,” Morris said.

He said experience is helping teachers prepare students for the AP exam.

“Part of it is learning what’s on the test and learning what they will emphasize,” said Missy Brewer, who is in her fourth year of teaching AP biology. “We all agree it takes 3 years to figure it all out and feel confident with teaching the class.”

Brewer said the class is fast-paced, which is something that’s attractive to some students.

“Easy classes are boring,” Andrew Smith, 18, said of regular classes. “Nothing keeps me engaged ... These are harder. It’s a lot more [content] in a shorter time.”

Most are taking the classes to prepare for college and/or to get the Academic Honors Diploma, which requires at least two AP or dual credit courses.

“I wanted to get the Academic Honors Diploma and I think it looks better on my resume and I knew I could do it so I just decided to do it,” 18-year-old Chris Semones said.

“I wanted to have a good education and get a good job,” Audra Wein, 17 said.

Morris said he hopes to have this program grow even further, especially by encouraging more minorities to take part in the curriculum. He said 17 percent of the white population in the school of 2,100 is taking at least one AP class. However, only 6 percent of the school’s minority population is doing the same.

Morris said JHS is part of a pilot program that is targeting minorities.

“We need to do a better job of identifying potential at an earlier age, in elementary school, middle schools,” he said.

He said the pilot program is working to do just that. However, it started just this school year, so he doesn’t expect to see results for a few years.



BY THE NUMBERS

2002

• 57 students taking AP courses

• 92 exams taken

• 25 percent passed

2009

• 281 students taking AP courses

• 384 exams taken

• 43 percent passed