Middle and high school teachers learned about classroom strategies and standardized testing procedures for Advanced Placement courses at a professional development institute hosted recently by UL Lafayette and the Lafayette Parish School System.
The Advanced Placement Summer Institute was held at three locations: the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning; Bourgeois Hall; and the USGS National Wetlands Research Center. It featured sessions on English literature and composition, English language and composition, pre-AP English, pre-AP social studies, biology, psychology and U.S. history.
The institute was one of several that were held throughout Louisiana and Texas. It was sponsored by The College Board, which creates and administers standardized tests such as the SAT and the AP exams most colleges and universities require a student to take to place out of college courses.
The LPSS offers more than 30 AP courses, said Randy Bernard, a special education specialist with the school system. Different schools offer different courses. LPSS students can earn spots in advanced courses that are offered at their schools by meeting prerequisites. Those prerequisites can include a blend of several factors, such as standardized test scores, teacher recommendations and previously demonstrated ability.
About 150 teachers of AP courses from around the state registered and paid a fee to attend the institute. They received classroom-style instruction and, for courses like biology, lab training provided by college professors and high school teachers.
Krista Fournerat, a biology teacher at Northside High School, said AP courses are more rigorous and delve into subjects more deeply. They often include intensive lab work. Fournerat, who is teaching her first advanced placement course this year, learned about how to conduct experiments she will lead. “I’m transitioning from (teaching) Biology II, and one of the biggest things for me is the labs, and getting used to the equipment for AP courses,” she said. Another reason Fournerat attended the institute was to familiarize herself with standardized testing.
High school students aren’t required to take a national, standardized exam at the conclusion of AP courses. Many do, however, in an effort to earn college credit. To score well on the tests, questions must often be answered both correctly and in a precise format. A student might come up with the right answer to a biology equation, but not receive credit for solving the problem if he or she skips a certain step, for instance. “We have to teach students some very specific ways to take the AP biology exam for them to be able to pass,” Fournerat explained.
College credit is awarded differently at individual universities and for different courses. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, students who earn scores of 3 or higher out of 5 may be eligible for college credit for some courses.
Students can earn course credits at the University by meeting requirements that differ from subject to subject and can include advance credit exam scores, ACT test scores, letters of recommendation and other factors.
Learn more about advanced placement testing and requirements at the University.