Dec 28, 2019 4 min read

As recent as six years ago, Mapletown High School couldn’t offer students the chance to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses to better prepare them for college and other forms of secondary education, including trade school.

All that changed five years ago when the district initiated AP courses in English. Since then, the AP program has blossomed.

This current school year, 35 students are participating in six AP courses, five of which are offered in partnership with the National Math Science Initiative (NMSI).

Those NMSI classes include AP Statistics, AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP English Literature and Composition and AP English Language and Composition. A sixth course in AP History and Government is not included in the NMSI partnership because it falls outside the realm of science, math and English.

Students are able to attend specialized Saturday Student Study Sessions throughout the year at participating NMSI schools.

The sessions are supervised by NMSI instructors who come from all parts of the country and include professors, retired teachers with many years in education and teachers with experience scoring AP tests

The sessions involve student interaction and discussion with other AP students from Washington High School, as well as short videos. In May, the participating students will take an AP test free of charge for each of the courses. Those who meet or surpass a qualifying score will be awarded $100 and receive college credit.

Wyletta Cowie, a senior honor student from Greensboro, took three of the AP courses last year and plans to take two more this year. So far, she’s passed her AP Biology test and was awarded $100.

“I decided to take the courses because I enjoy a challenging curriculum and am interested in the possibility of getting college credit,” said Wyletta, who would like to become an emergency room physician. “As a result of taking the AP courses, I also feel better prepared for my freshman year in college.”

Another senior Katelyn Wilson of Greensboro, took three courses last year and plans to do the same in the current school year.

By passing the qualifying scores for her AP tests in both Biology and English Language and Composition, she’s earned $200 in rewards.

“My career goal is to become an elementary school teacher, and I feel the AP courses have better prepared me for my future,” she said.

Teachers and school administrators have attended national AP training. These sessions have taken Southeastern Greene staff to Texas, California, Louisiana and North Carolina to gain knowledge on AP from some of the country’s most recognized AP experts.

“NMSI has done a great job,” said Kate McCullough, AP Literature and Composition teacher at Mapletown. “It’s enhanced my proficiency as a teacher and given me material I can build on in the future of my career.”

McCullough has already attended eight training sessions, most of which were located in the Pittsburgh area. However, for one session, she flew to San Diego for the 4-day, 8-hour-a-day event. Three additional Mapletown teachers have also taken part in the training sessions, which are paid for by a grant from NMSI.

Over the past three years, NMSI grant money totaled $306, 683. Of this, $138,425 went toward teacher training; $39,300 was for stipends and awards; $82,232 was for the Saturday student study sessions; $11,726 was for exam fees; and $35,000 was for AP course material. To date Mapletown students have collected $3,400 for achieving qualifying AP test scores.

Scott Sinn, assistant to the superintendent, first learned about the NMSI program while attending a curriculum meeting at the Intermediate Unit in the summer of 2017. There, he met and a NMSI representative. Through their discussion, Sinn decided to take a program partnership proposal to the teachers union and school board, who eventually approved it.

“The AP partnership between Southeastern Greene School District and the National Math & Science Initiative has provided countless opportunities for students and teachers to be successful in a rigorous STEM curriculum,” Sinn said. “(It) has promoted the development of higher level thinking skills required after high school.”