Worthington schools propose offering AP Seminar (English 10) to expand access to AP coursework

Worthington Schools presented a proposal on Sept. 23 to offer College Board’s AP Seminar as an English 10 option, aiming to broaden access to rigorous coursework and to attract students who currently do not enroll in AP classes.

Suzanne Palmer, director of gifted services, told the board the district currently offers 21 AP courses and is exploring AP Seminar because it has no prerequisites and can be embedded within required English 10 classes. “This course is designed for all students,” Palmer said, noting the course emphasizes project-based learning, research, collaboration and presentation skills.

Why it matters: District officials said AP Seminar’s framework can attract nontraditional AP students and help diversify AP enrollment. Palmer cited College Board data that AP Seminar scores are “more similar across white, black, and Hispanic students than any other AP course,” and argued the model builds skills useful in college, careers and other rigorous programs.

Palmer provided district AP participation data: 764 students took one or more AP exams last spring across the two high schools. Of those, she reported 38 were Black or African American, 53 were Hispanic or Latino, 48 were Asian, 45 reported two or more races, 24 did not report race, and 81 qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. Palmer said AP Seminar historically yields a high pass rate (earning a 3 or higher) and can serve as an “on-ramp” to other AP coursework.

Ashton Hunt, a teacher at Worthington Kilbourne High School who previously took the course as a student and completed College Board training, described the course’s pedagogy, called the QUEST framework (Question and Explore; Understand and Analyze; Evaluate multiple perspectives; Synthesize ideas; Team, Transform and Transmit). She recounted student projects and said the model increases students’ confidence for later advanced work.

Implementation steps described by district staff include course-planning sessions already held, teacher attendance at College Board summer training and a one-on-one consultation provided by a College Board expert at the district’s request. The district plans more planning in November and to attend a College Board workshop in Gahanna. Palmer said the goal is to add the course as a scheduling option for students during winter scheduling and offer the course in the 2025–26 school year, with monitoring and refinement thereafter.

Board members asked about recruitment of underrepresented students and how the course would coexist with literature goals in a traditional English 10. Palmer and presenters said outreach by teachers and counselors — a personal invitation to students — was key to diversifying AP participation and that teachers would integrate seminar tasks with required literature standards.

There was no vote on the presentation; the item was informational with follow-up planning and scheduling work anticipated over the coming months.

Details and limits: The district emphasized the course would not require additional full-time staff; existing English 10 teachers would teach the course. AP Seminar includes team and individual performance tasks during the year and an optional AP exam in spring. The district will not require students to take the AP exam.

Next steps: Continue teacher preparation and planning, finalize scheduling options this winter and aim to offer AP Seminar (English 10) in 2025–26, while monitoring enrollment, outcomes and recruitment effectiveness.