Kentucky Teacher

Nine Kentucky public school districts join 530 other districts nationwide and in Canada on the third annual Advanced Placement^® (AP) District Honor Roll.

The districts were honored for simultaneously increasing access to AP^® course work while increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams. Achieving both of these goals is the ideal scenario for a district’s AP program because it indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are likely to benefit most from rigorous AP course work.

The nine Kentucky districts on the 2012 AP District Honor Roll are:

• Ashland Independent
• Boone County
• Bourbon County Read the full story

The number of Kentucky public high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and scoring at high levels continues to rise, according to data released this week by the College Board.

Since 2008, the number of Kentucky public high school students taking AP examinations has risen by nearly 12,000. The number of tests scored at 3, 4 or 5 has increased by about 10,000.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Based on their performance on rigorous AP exams, students can earn credit for college.

“These increases can be attributed to an enhanced focus on college and career readiness in Kentucky, exemplified by the efforts of AdvanceKentucky to expand the numbers of students who participate in AP courses and exams,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “Schools in AdvanceKentucky’s cohorts contributed large percentages of qualifying scores, particularly among minority students.” Read the full story

The number of Kentucky public high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and scoring at high levels continues to rise, data released today from the College Board indicate.

 Since 2007, the number of Kentucky public high school students taking AP examinations has risen by nearly 44 percent. The number of tests scored at 3, 4 or 5 has increased by about 75 percent. Read the full story

Johnson Central High School (Johnson County) AP English teacher Amiee Cantrell-Webb, Henderson County High School AP Calculus teacher Brian Sullivan and Bryan Station High School (Fayette County) AP Biology teacher Carlos Verdecchia have been named 2011 All American Teachers.

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Aimee Cantrell, Brian Sullivan and Carlos Verdecchia all entered the teaching profession for a variety of reasons, but they share a love of working with students and challenging them daily.

The three high school Advanced Placement (AP) teachers were recently honored as All-American Teachers of the Year by the National Math and Science Initiative, a national, non-profit organization focused on improving mathematics and science achievement.

These Kentucky teachers are among just 23 teachers nationwide recognized by NMSI for 2011. Read the full story

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), a non-profit organization for improving American students’ mathematics and science achievement, recently honored 23 Advanced Placement (AP) teachers as the 2011 All American Teachers of the Year.

Kentucky teachers honored were:

• Amiee Cantrell-Webb, English , Johnson Central High School (Johnson County)
• Brian Sullivan, calculus, Henderson County High School
• Carlos Verdecchia, biology, Bryan Station High School (Fayette County)

The awards, which recognize outstanding mathematics, science and English teachers for remarkable contributions to their students and to the teaching profession, are presented to teachers participating in NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP). The award winners receive a cash award, and each teacher will be recognized at a special awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., on May 26.
For more information, contact Rena Pederson at (214) 665-2523 or Joanne Lang at (859) 576-3282. Go to www.advanceky.com for more information about AdvanceKentucky.

Twenty new high schools are joining AdvanceKentucky, bringing to 64 the number of high schools in the state that are implementing the AP Teacher Training and Incentive Program (APTIP).

This program involves content-rich teacher training and extensive support and incentives for students and teachers for achieving qualifying scores (3 or higher) on Advanced Placement (AP) exams in mathematics, science and English.

The model has demonstrated its ability in Kentucky schools to dramatically increase access to and accelerate learning in rigorous mathematics, science and English courses, as shown by qualifying scores on AP exams, particularly among underrepresented student populations.

Read the full story

AP summer institutes advance teacher, student learning

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Biology consultant Ann Griffin, left, works with Holmes High School (Covington Independent) teacher Elaine Eifert and Warren Central High School (Warren County) teacher Joey Norman on an experiment during the 2010 Advanced Placement (AP) Summer Institute at Western Kentucky University June 28, 2010. The institute provides AP teachers the opportunity to share experiences and brainstorm ways to improve teaching strategies and methods. Photo by Amy Wallot

Some teachers come to network. Some want to know about testing changes. Others pick up new strategies for classroom learning, while others want a challenge for themselves.

But the common bond they all share is they want to be better Advanced Placement (AP) teachers.

And there’s no better place for AP teachers to come together than an AP Summer Institute, a week-long program led by experienced AP consultants who offer more than 20 different workshops, according to Julia Roberts, founding director of the institute at Western Kentucky University. Read the full story