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Rogers board approves switch from Pre-AP to "accelerated" and "advanced" course labels
Summary
District leaders explained the change from Pre-AP labels to "accelerated" and "advanced," citing alignment with new Arkansas standards and the ATLAS assessment; the board approved the middle- and high-school catalogs.
The Rogers School District board on Monday approved revisions to the middle- and high-school course catalogs that rename Pre-AP offerings as either "accelerated" or "advanced" courses.
Charles (last name not specified), representing curriculum administration, said the change reflects new Arkansas standards and the ATLAS assessment and followed guidance that the Pre-AP grant is no longer supported by the state. "Pre AP is a curriculum framework. It's not a curriculum," he said, explaining why administrators recommend the re-labeling.
Under the district plan, "accelerated" courses will compress more grade-level standards into a single year (for example, middle-school accelerated math would teach all sixth-grade standards and roughly half of seventh-grade standards in one year), while "advanced" courses will pursue greater depth in grade-level standards rather than accelerating students to higher grade concepts.
District staff told the board they have begun parent outreach; curriculum leaders held a parent night with about 250 families and expect counselors and registrars to provide additional information during course-selection for next school year. Administrators also said interest in concurrent-credit opportunities with NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) is growing and the district is seeking to expand access while minimizing direct costs to students.
Board member motions to approve the catalogs passed unanimously by voice vote.
