Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Secondary Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forest Hills plans pre-AP English 1–2 and expands AP Seminar to increase rigor and college-readiness
Summary
Board members heard presentations from high school English teachers about new pre-AP English 1 and 2 courses and the AP Seminar course for 10th graders; the aim is to build writing and research skills so more students can succeed in AP coursework.
Four high school English teachers described proposed and newly offered courses intended to better prepare students for Advanced Placement work and to increase writing rigor at Forest Hills Public Schools.
Teachers Amber Ashley, Doreen Barnes, Elise Greenwood and Sarah Baubkamp presented on Feb. 10 about a pre-AP English 1 course for ninth graders and a pre-AP English 2 course for tenth graders, intended as an alternative to AP Seminar or honors pathways. "A lot of our kids, once they get to high school, might not believe that they have what they need to take AP courses," one presenter said, adding that the pre-AP classes focus on intensive paragraph writing, using compelling evidence and crafting powerful openings.
Doreen Barnes described AP Seminar, a tenth-grade offering already in place this year, as requiring students to conduct team-based research projects, synthesize multiple perspectives and complete College Board performance tasks. "This class requires students to conduct high levels of research and defense of different positions," Barnes said. Students in AP Seminar complete a 1,200-word paper and additional performance tasks required by the College Board if they pursue AP credit.
Why it matters: Teachers said the pre-AP sequence and AP Seminar aim to build students' writing stamina, research skills and academic confidence so more students can enter and succeed in AP-level classes. The courses emphasize plays, poetry, nonfiction and narrative units and include grammar and text complexity adjustments in the pre-AP honors variant.
Board members asked whether the pathway would be offered uniformly across the district. Teachers responded that the design will be available at all three high schools, and counselors will present options to students starting in eighth grade so families can plan course sequences. Students may choose AP Seminar as tenth graders or take pre-AP English 2 instead, the presenters said.
Ending: No formal board action on course adoption was recorded during the meeting; the presentation followed the curriculum report and preceded further finance and policy items.
