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Students present survey, urge more diverse AP and honors enrollment
Summary
Three students presented a survey of roughly 100 peers, reported that about 75% of respondents in AP/honors classes identified as white and 25% as students of color, and urged greater outreach and support so more students pursue AP, honors, or dual-enrollment options.
Naomi Sotel Navarro, representing SAC, told meeting attendees that she conducted a survey of about 100 students enrolled in AP and honors classes and found the respondents were approximately 75% white and about 25% students of color. "My research found that 75% of people that answered my survey were white, and only 25% of the students that answered were people of color or other ethnicities," she said.
Navarro said survey respondents pointed to peer and parental influence as major drivers of who enrolls in advanced courses and asked, "Where are we going wrong? Why are we not seeing a lot of representation...for these Hispanic or these other ethnic groups?" She framed the findings as a call to examine barriers to enrollment rather than as definitive proof of systemic cause.
Melissa Villegas, speaking for AP Language, described her own hesitation to join advanced classes when she saw few students who looked like her and urged students from Hispanic, Asian and other communities to consider AP courses. "Colleges really look forward to seeing those AP classes and seeing that AP in your transcript," Villegas said, arguing that AP enrollment can strengthen college applications.
Kobe Quesada, representing AP Biology, described concrete classroom benefits from his AP coursework: improved note-taking, time-management and study habits. "It's making me a much better student, and I regret not doing it sooner," Quesada said, adding that the classes pushed him to develop academic skills he had not used before.
The students closed by encouraging peers to seek guidance from counselors, family members and other students about taking AP, honors or dual-enrollment classes. Navarro noted counselors and families as resources and suggested early encouragement could better prepare students for college-level work. The presentation did not include formal proposals or requests for specific district actions during the meeting, and no motion or vote was recorded.
