A+ staff members don’t take the summer off. In fact, they spend most of the summer working hard to lay solid groundwork for a successful year in many of Alabama’s public schools.
Through the CollegeFirst Advanced Placement Summer Institute, A+ College Ready is helping prepare more than 350 high school students to get a head start on Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The CollegeFirst program is a partnership between A+ College Ready, IMPACT Alabama, and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Birmingham. It provides three weeks of hands-on mentorship by dedicated instructors and college students in AP math, science and English language arts.
All three locations were filled with students eager to get a jump-start on their most challenging courses. The students who participate gain more confidence through the summer institute and are better prepared for the rigor of AP classes, for which they can receive college credit if they get a qualifying score on the end of course AP exam.
“Besides the material, (AP-level classes) prepare you for the workload in college,” said Adam Beg, one of the mentors working with AP students in Tuscaloosa. All CollegeFirst mentors were recruited by IMPACT Alabama and trained by master teachers provided by A+ College Ready. Adam credits AP classes with helping better prepare him for success in college, and with his ability to help high school students now.
Allison Herren, from IMPACT Alabama, said, “We see students that are really motivated to be here – they really want to be here.”
In addition to the impactful CollegeFirst AP Summer Institute, A+ College Ready is rolling out six high school courses this summer at four National Math & Science Initiative (NMSI)/Laying the Foundation teacher training sessions. Over 800 high school teachers will be trained to effectively deliver instruction for these rigorous courses, which are aligned with the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, as well as national Quality Core Standards developed by ACT. (NMSI Teacher Training/Laying the Foundation is a professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers to prepare students in grades 6-10 for the rigor of AP courses.)
“It is very encouraging to see so many students eager to learn at the college level, that they are willing to sacrifice three weeks of their summer to prepare for their AP courses this fall,” said Mary Boehm, A+ College Ready president. “And, it is just as inspiring to see teachers hard at work in the summer preparing for a successful school year. In this group of learners – youth and adults – we see great leadership emerging in Alabama, and we are so proud of their work ethic.”
Click video below for a local news report on the CollegeFirst AP Summer Institute.
Local High School Students Use Summer to Get Jumpstart on College – WVUA Tuscaloosa from Impact Alabama on Vimeo.
