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Norwood High outlines AP expansion, asks for $40k–$45k ongoing exam funding
Summary
Norwood High School administrators told the school committee Dec. 4 that AP course offerings have grown to 26 and that full funding of AP exam fees since 2022 drove participation to 530 exams in 2024; they requested continued funding of exam fees and $17,500 annually for a Mass Insight partnership.
Dr. Galligan, a Norwood High School administrator, and Miss Duran of Norwood High School presented a five‑goal plan to expand access to Advanced Placement coursework, improve demographic alignment in AP enrollment, boost achievement and provide supports for teachers and students. "Our goal is to give a brief snapshot and overview of advanced placement coursework enrollment and performance at Norwood High School," Dr. Galligan said during the Dec. 4 presentation to the Norwood School Committee.
The presenters said the district now offers 26 AP courses across departments and has added AP options for grades 9 and 10. They highlighted a change in 2022 when AP exams became required and the district began fully funding exam fees; that year marked a clear uptick in AP participation. In 2024, Norwood students took 530 AP exams, about double the number recorded in 2021, the presenters reported.
School leaders described a phased approach: removing financial barriers (completed), conducting an equity audit (completed), and ongoing efforts to review course recommendation practices, enrollment trends, and instructional supports. They also described the AP Capstone pathway (AP Seminar and AP Research) and noted that a subset of graduates took five or more AP exams during their high‑school careers.
On budgetary needs, the presenters identified several cost areas that support AP access: continuing to fund exam fees (estimated at $40,000–$45,000 annually), sustaining a Mass Insight partnership (about $17,500 per year), and staffing or professional development to build a bench of trained AP teachers. "This year's budget is to the tune of 40 to $45,000 allocated for that," one presenter said of exam funding.
Committee members asked about scheduling thresholds for running AP courses, class size minimums, and whether the district had considered a sliding fee. Presenters said the district typically will not run an AP section with fewer than about 10 students and that offering exams free to all students was a deliberate equity choice: "the quickest, structural change and most equitable change you can make is to remove it, period." They also noted the district participated in a Seal of Biliteracy pilot that can yield college credit at some institutions.
The presentation closed with committee members encouraging continued alignment between school improvement plans and budget requests and with the administration offering to return with further budget details as part of the FY26 process.
