Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Advanced Placement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arlington ISD reports higher AP participation and gains in 3+ scores; officials outline retention and recruitment efforts
Summary
District presenters told trustees AP participation has grown about 8% since 2018 and that scores of 3+ rose roughly 38%, with about 25% of students taking at least one AP course. Administrators outlined recruitment, AVID integration, PLCs and targeted supports to sustain growth.
Superintendent Smith asked advanced-academics staff to present results and next steps for Advanced Placement (AP) programs districtwide.
Dr. Karen Zeske, director of advanced academics, and Dr. T.J. Jarko presented data showing participation up about 8% since 2018 and “about a 38% growth in scores of 3 or higher,” which the district said translates to more students earning college credit before graduation. Zeske noted that 23% of the 2025 graduating class earned at least one AP score of 3, 4 or 5.
District leaders credited several strategies for the gains: open-enrollment policies for AP classes, AP ambassadors who recruit peers, embedding AVID strategies in AP courses to support retention, district common assessments for AP, targeted professional learning communities (PLCs), and focused supports in five high-need AP subjects (which produced a 15.5% increase in those courses).
Student AP ambassadors from Lamar High School described peer outreach and campus-level initiatives to encourage students — including rewarding students who earn 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s. "Being able to acquire college credit in high school…we found the value in that," said Rachshani Wicker Matlika, vice president of Lamar's AP Ambassadors.
Trustees asked about grade-level splits, supports for first-year AP students and how AP compares to dual-enrollment pathways. Dr. Zeske said some reporters’ datasets exclude ninth-grade AP participation because AP human geography is the main ninth-grade offering and the percent-of-grade calculations make the share appear small; she said the district would supply additional data on AP versus dual-enrollment counts on request.
Administrators also described teacher supports: the district pays for teachers to attend APSI summer institutes, funds targeted professional learning, and promotes PLCs so AP teachers (often the only subject specialists on a campus) can collaborate across campuses. Trustees praised the student ambassadors and the focus on retention as keys to scaling progress.
The board did not take action on the AP report; presenters said they will continue monitoring participation and performance and provide follow-up data when requested.
