Cultivating and Coordinating a School-wide AP Culture

Erin ThalerAP Teacher, AP Coordinator

Osborne High SchoolMarietta, Georgia

Who We Are

Osborne High SchoolMarietta, GA

Population – As of March 2010 1711 Students: 45.5% Hispanic, 41.3% Black 80% Economically Disadvantaged

No Child Left Behind – Needs Improvement, Year 5 Title I School in 2009-10 Average SAT: Critical Reading = 429, Math = 437 Newsweek Rankings

391 in Nation, 3rd in County in 2010

Participation in AP Program

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

0100200300400500600700

Number of students Number of tests

Academic School Year

Part

icip

atio

n

Participation by Ethnicity

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

020406080

100120140160180

Black Hispanic

Academic Year

Num

ber o

f Stu

dent

s

A Taste of Our Culture

Tyler’s Curriculum Model

What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

Text Study and Initial Reflection

Chevruta Study A shared partnership in learning Texts spur thought, analysis, dialogue The relationship as learning partners is far

more valuable than the completion of a task

Review the chart “Overview of Educational Philosophies” and the “Curriculum Texts for Consideration”

Administrative Innovations

Advising Teacher as “AP Coordinator” AP Parent Night Experimental “class promotion” – 10th grade

Full-year block classes AP Section and Skill-Based Section

Paired courses as skinnies

Reflection and Inspiration

Conjunto Discussion Collection of several Chevruta pairs who

synthesize the insight gathered in intense study

Discussion, problem-solving, innovation

Consider your school’s administrative approaches and brainstorm methods to cultivate a stronger AP culture

Tyler’s Curriculum Model

What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

Text Study and Initial Reflection

Chevruta Study A shared partnership in learning Texts spur thought, analysis, dialogue The relationship as learning partners is far

more valuable than the completion of a task

Review the “Learning Experiences Texts for Consideration” Reflections apply to both Instructional and

Student-Driven sections

Instructional Initiatives

Instructional Initiatives

Summer Intellectual Fun Voluntary Invitation to all rising Junior and Senior

AP Students

Capstone Project for Sympartium

Essential Question:How do we demonstrate mastery of our

AP Coursework? Symposium: a formal presentation of

academic topics by scholars Party: a celebration SYMPARTIUM: A celebration and

presentation of academic topics by scholars

Capstone Guidelines

Overview Approval Form Proposal Guide

Inspiration: Wakefield High School – Arlington, VA Sample projects

Create a Country Presidential Candidate information in Spanish The Calculus of Literature Life-size Structure of a Cell Economics of Censorship

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Sympartium Day

Reflection and Inspiration

Conjunto Discussion Collection of several Chevruta pairs who

synthesize the insight gathered in intense study

Discussion, problem-solving, innovation

Consider your school’s instructional approaches and brainstorm methods to cultivate a stronger AP culture

Student-Driven Approach

To help ourselves and others pass the AP test

To serve a cause greater than our own and

To leave a legacy of community success

Sin Cera Application

Sin Cera Recognition

Reflection and Inspiration

Conjunto Discussion Collection of several Chevruta pairs who

synthesize the insight gathered in intense study

Discussion, problem-solving, innovation

Consider your school’s student-driven approaches and brainstorm methods to cultivate a stronger AP culture

Tyler’s Curriculum Model

What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

Osborne AP Community Cardinal Thinkers

Model our aspirations. Offer rigorous work to ensure success.

Believe in our capabilities. Encourage interest driven inquiry.

Utilize our resources. Provide faculty time and designated student space

for students to pursue scholarship. Nurture ourselves.

Support the community and celebrate our successes.

“Learn & Network”

“We do not expect to have other schools literally imitate what we do. A working model is not something to be copied; it is to afford a demonstration of the feasibility of the principle, and of the methods which make it feasible.”

John Dewey

Cultivating and Coordinating a School-wide AP Culture

Erin ThalerErin.Thaler@cobbk12.org

AP Teacher, AP Coordinator