June 16, 2012
The Huntsville Times
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A chemistry lab at the University of Alabama in Huntsville today offered a snapshot of the competitive world.
A group of about 30 high school students were studying to get a head start on their advanced placement chemistry classes in the fall. And those AP classes are designed for students to get a head start on college.
Essentially, it’s getting a head start on getting a head start.
“We learn about the fundamentals of our chemistry AP class that will prepare us for our class when we go back to school so we won’t be scared of it as much as we might be because we have seen the material before,” said Kene Okoye, a rising junior at New Century Technology High School.
The program is known as CollegeFirst, a third-year summer enrichment program catering to students registered in AP courses in the fall.
CollegeFirst is a partnership of Impact Alabama and A+ College Ready and is available cost-free to invited students. Impact Alabama helps students with community projects while A+ College Ready prepares students for AP courses.
Three-week courses, meeting each morning Monday through Thursday, include chemistry, biology, calculus and English. At UAH, 110 students are taking the courses while a total of 250 students are doing the same across the state at University of Alabama System campuses in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.
“We’re trying to get ahead in chemistry,” said Jenny Parker, a rising senior at DAR School in Grant. “They are going over some stuff that’s going to be shown later to us in school.
“They’re trying to throw it at us and we take as much as we can. If we learn a little bit here, we’ll know what we’re doing in AP in school.”
There is also an ulterior motive for high school students spending a splendid June morning in a chemistry lab wearing smocks and safety glasses.
“I know AP is going to be hard, and I don’t want to take it again in college,” said Parker, who plans to study pharmacy in college. “I want to make a qualifying score so I don’t have to take it again in college. I’m going to need a lot of chemistry in college, so this would be one class I don’t have to pay for.”
State education leaders are also eager to boost Alabama’s sagging AP scores. According to CollegeFirst, 18 percent of America’s public school graduating class of 2011 received a passing score on an AP exam. Alabama saw just 10 percent receive passing scores.
Huntsville is doing its part. The 110 students studying this month at UAH mark the largest attendance of the three sites, according to Helen Barnes, site coordinator at UAH for the CollegeFirst program.
“We have definitely grown a lot in Huntsville,” said Cassie Stokes, chemistry content manager at UAH for CollegeFirst.
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/06/chance_to_get_ahead_luring_adv.html
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