Arkansas High School is among the first to join the College Board Pre-AP program and is one of only one hundred schools in the nation selected to pilot the new initiative. The new Pre-AP program, which will launch Fall 2018, offers instructional resources, classroom-based assessments, high-quality professional learning, and focused practice for schools that earn an official Pre-AP designation from the College Board. In order to receive the designation, schools must agree to:
- Align instruction to the course frameworks;
- Give students the digital assessments provided by College Board;
- Take part in professional training; and
- Offer the course with open access.
Superintendent Dr. Kesler commented, “Arkansas High School has the highest college and career readiness index in the city of Texarkana, and I am confident that the staff and students of Arkansas High will receive the College Board Pre-AP designation.” The official College Board designation lets students, parents, and staff know that Arkansas High School is committed to providing high-quality instruction to students.
While the number of students enrolled in Pre-AP and advanced placement (AP) at Arkansas High School continues to increase, joining the College Board program will augment course offerings and increase student participation. All of the Pre-AP courses are designed to give students a foundation to develop the skills they need for success in high school and beyond. Pre-AP courses prepare students for (AP) and other college-level coursework. Research indicates that students who participate in advanced placement (AP) courses have a higher retention rate in college than non-AP students of similar background and ability. The Pre-AP program will offer consistent, high standards that help build, strengthen, and reinforce students’ content knowledge and skills.
There are several benefits of the Pre-AP program: engaging resources that meet students where they are; meaningful feedback to teachers that show areas in which additional student support is needed; and challenging coursework that emphasizes key literacy, quantitative, and analysis skills and reinforces these skills in multiple classroom disciplines. Kesler stated that the benefits of joining the College Board Pre-AP program would result in enhanced instructional resources, increased teacher support, and higher academic achievement for all students who participate in these challenging courses.
