STATUS OF IOWA ONLINE AP ACADEMY AUGUST 2017
Prepared by
Kristin Flanary, M.A., Iowa Online AP Academy Administrator
Brian Douglas, M.B.A., Assistant Director for Finance, Operations, and Technology Susan Assouline, Ph.D., Belin-Blank Center Director
Overview of IOAPA 2001-2017 Since its inception in 2001, the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) has had a significant, positive impact on the landscape of advanced course taking opportunities for Iowa’s highly capable high school students. Because of the online format of the coursework and supporting materials, geography is no longer a barrier for opportunity for challenge. The funding that supports the Belin-Blank Center infrastructure for IOAPA has led to: 1. More students registering for Advanced Placement (AP) classes; 2. More students benefitting from the online exam review; 3. More teachers receiving professional development through the Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute; 4. Development of the Iowa AP Index, which ranks the top 50 schools according to the number of AP Exams administered annually; 5. Implementation of AP preparation opportunities for middle school students.
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AP PARTICIPATION IN IOWA: A REPORT OF THE IOWA ONLINE ADVANCED PLACEMENT ACADEMY 2001-2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Report ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Iowa Student Participation in AP ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Iowa Student Performance on the AP Exam ........................................................................................................................... 6
Highlights of IOAPA ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Online AP and AP-preparatory coursework through IOAPA................................................................................ 8
2016-2017 school participation in IOAPA................................................................................................................. 10 Online AP exam review ................................................................................................................................................... 122 Professional development ............................................................................................................................................. 122 Support for Middle School Students.......................................................................................................................... 133
Support for IOAPA Schools ............................................................................................................................................ 155
Summary of 2016 – 2017 ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
On the Horizon.................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Research/Evaluation program ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Chromebooks outreach project ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Collaboration with Iowa STEM Excellence and Leadership (SEAL) ............................................................... 18
Selected Resources ........................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Appendix A: AP Participation vs. Dual Enrollment .......................................................................................................... 20
Attachments: History and Funding of IOAPA, IOAPA Infographics, 2016-17 IOAPA Blog Posts .......... Error! Bookmark not defined.2
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About the Report
The annual IOAPA report serves to highlight the progress of the Advanced Placement (AP) Program in the state of Iowa. Although the report is a product of the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA), and presents cumulative information about IOAPA, there is much general information about the AP program. This report is divided into several sections. The main body of the report presents pertinent data for AP in Iowa and the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy. A useful snapshot of the history of the funding and implementation of IOAPA is attached to the end of this report. The maps on pages 12-13 reveal the widespread impact of IOAPA on the state of Iowa.
Iowa students have a reputation for excellent performance on standardized tests such as the Iowa Assessments and college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT. Iowa’s students also stand out in their performance in the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program.
Special thanks to Katie Schabilion, the Iowa Online AP Academy’s graduate assistant, Dr. Ann LupkowskiShoplik, Belin-Blank Center Administrator for the Acceleration Institute, and Emily Ladendorf, BelinBlank Center Administrator for Technology and PR, for their assistance with data collection and reporting.
Introduction
The College Board’s AP Program allows students to pursue college-level studies and take college-level exams while in high school. In May 2016 (most recent data available), more than 2.6 million students across the country took 4.7 million AP Exams in 37 subjects. AP exams provide a uniform standard of academic accomplishment across geography, economic status, ethnicity, and school size. Students can earn college credit or advanced placement in college courses with a qualifying AP Exam score at thousands of colleges and universities. An AP Exam score of 5 is considered top-level work in a corresponding college course; many colleges and universities recognize an exam score of 3 with college credit or advanced placement in college courses.
AP courses and exams help students experience college-level academics while they are still in high school, better preparing them for the rigor of college courses. The exams also allow students to save time and money once they get to college, providing them with more study options and allowing them to move directly into upper-level courses in their field of interest. Research indicates that students who participate in the AP Program: • Stand out in the college admissions process. • Earn academic scholarships and awards from colleges and universities. • Perform as well or better in upper-level courses in the content area of their AP course(s). • Earn higher GPAs in college. • Have higher college graduation rates and are more likely to graduate college in four years or fewer. 4
Iowa Student Participation in AP
At the beginning of the 21st century, Iowa’s students were limited in opportunities for AP courses and exams because of the large numbers of rural and small schools. According to the National Center of Education Statistics, 70% percent of public school districts in Iowa are in rural communities. Approximately 42% of all public school districts in the state of Iowa have a K-12 enrollment of 599 or less. It is not cost effective to offer AP courses in rural and small schools because of too-small class sizes. As a result, a culture of knowledge about and appreciation for AP continues to be developed in these schools. In response to the inequitable access to AP coursework, the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education has made a concerted effort since 2001, through the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA), to bring AP and advanced learning opportunities to all high schools in Iowa. IOAPA has a special focus on serving rural and small high schools so that Iowa geography does not determine educational opportunity.
IOAPA’s program opportunities for Iowa students, teachers, and schools started with federal funding awarded to the Belin-Blank Center through the Iowa Department of Education. For nearly ten years, IOAPA was funded primarily through federal dollars. A timeline of funding is presented at the end of this report. The College Board has documented that Iowa student participation in the AP program has risen since 2001, when IOAPA was implemented (see Table 1 and Figure 1). This growth occurred despite a declining number of Iowa high schools and decreasing high school enrollment during the same time period (Figure 2).
Table 1. Growth of AP opportunities in Iowa from 2001 – 2016 (most recent data available) Total IA high schools
Total IA high school enrollment
IA high schools offering at least 1 AP exam
AP exams taken by IA students
2001
435
163,970
156
2006
471
165,164
227
9,833
6,607
2015
401
153,576
202
19,787
12,449
2016
397
154,825
213
21,081
13,267
5,995
IA students taking AP exams 4,069
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Figure 1. Growth of AP participation in Iowa from 2001 – 2016 (most recent data available) 25000
20000 15000 10000
5000
0 AP Exams Taken by IA Students
IA Students Taking AP Exams
Figure 2. Iowa high school enrollment from 2001 – 2016 (most recent data available) 170,000 165,000 160,000 155,000 150,000 145,000
Iowa Student Performance on the AP Exam
Iowa student performance on the AP exam has improved during the last decade. In 2006, 8.6% of seniors earned a score of 3 or better on at least one AP exam that year. Ten years later, 14.0% of 2016 seniors (most recent data available), earned a score of 3 or better on at least one 2016 AP exam. In fact, more 2016 Iowa seniors earned a “passing” score of 3 or better on at least one 2016 AP exam (5,386 seniors), than the total number of Iowa seniors even taking an AP exam ten years before (4,774 students in 2006).
Figure 3 (p. 7) shows 2016 AP exam participation and performance for the state of Iowa. This figure reveals that Iowa’s AP participation is relatively low (Figure 3A), but when students in Iowa do participate in AP testing, they outperform students nationally (Figure 3B and 3C). In 2016, only 8.6% of Iowa’s high school students took AP exams (13,267 exam takers out of 154,825 total high school students). These students earned scores of 3 or better on 60.9% of their AP exams (compared to 57.5% 6
nationally), and their mean score as a group was 2.93 (compared to 2.85 nationally).
Figure 3. AP exam participation and performance for Iowa students 2016 (most recent data available) A) Iowa Students Taking AP Exams
B) Iowa AP Exams Scored 3+
8.6% 60.9%
% IA Students Not Taking AP Exams
IA AP Exams Passed (3+)
% IA Students Taking AP Exams
IA AP Exams Not Passed
C) AP Exams Scored 3+ Since 2006 80 75
Percent
70 65 60 55 50
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Iowa
2011
2012
USA
2013
2014
2015
2016
However, Figure 3C shows that there is still work to be done. Although the number of Iowa students earning a score of 3 or higher has increased over the past decade, the percentage of exams taken by those students that are scored 3 or higher has declined. In 2006, 71.1% of exams taken by Iowa seniors scored 3 or higher (3,392 exams out of 4,774). Ten years later, this number has dropped to 63.2% (5,386 exams out of 8,524). Nationally, the same declining trend has occurred, but to a lesser extent. In 2006, 60.5% of exams taken by seniors nationally scored 3 or higher (676,100 exams out of 1,117,379), while ten years later, this number has dropped to 58.0% (1,122,122 exams out of 1,935,408).
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Iowa’s participation in AP has doubled over the past decade, although it remains relatively low. Appendix A, “AP Participation vs. Dual Enrollment,” provides additional information about an important issue related to AP participation. Namely, more students who earn college credit during the high school years are currently pursuing dual enrollment through community colleges, rather than AP courses, despite the fact that the rigor of the AP Program more closely matches the level of 4-year university courses. IOAPA plays an important role in continuing to offer access to AP experiences to more Iowa students and their teachers.
HIGHLIGHTS OF IOAPA Online AP and AP-preparatory coursework through IOAPA
IOAPA is perhaps best known throughout Iowa for offering online, College Board-audited AP courses to students in accredited public and non-public high schools. While access to AP courses is important and necessary, access alone is insufficient if students are not receiving preparation in earlier years to succeed in AP courses. Beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, IOAPA expanded its course offerings to include accelerated, high school-level, AP-preparatory courses available to all eligible Iowa middle school students. The students receive academic challenge commensurate to their abilities and simultaneously prepare for future AP coursework. Eligibility guidelines include a score in the 95th percentile or above on a grade-level exam (e.g., Iowa Assessments) in addition to a score in the 50th percentile or above on an above-level exam (e.g., I-Excel for 4th-6th grades; see “Support for Middle School Students”). In 2016-17, IOAPA delivered AP and AP-preparatory courses using digital curriculum from Apex Learning and Edhesive. •
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13,262 semester enrollments have been completed by Iowa students, through IOAPA, since its inception in 2001. In the 2016-2017 academic year:
o 15 two-semester (10 high school, 5 middle school) and 9 one-semester (4 high school, 5 middle school) online courses were offered through IOAPA. Sixteen courses offered (66.67%) were STEM or STEM-related courses. These courses are marked with an asterisk. AP courses included: Biology*, Calculus AB*, Chemistry*, Computer Science A*, Computer Science Principles*, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Macroeconomics*, Microeconomics*, Psychology*, Spanish, Statistics*, U.S. Government & Politics, and U.S. History. Above-level middle school courses included: Algebra I*, Biology (Honors)*, Creative Writing, Geometry*, Introduction to Computer Science*, Physical Science (Honors)*, Probability and Statistics*, Psychology*, Spanish I (Honors), and U.S. History to the Civil War (Honors). 570 Iowa students (183 middle school, 387 high school), from 113 Iowa school districts 8
(107 public, 6 nonpublic) enrolled in 846 IOAPA semester enrollments. Total enrollment has increased since last year; this growth is being driven by enrollment in middle school courses in particular. A breakdown of enrollment growth is depicted in Figure 7. The content area breakdown for 846 active and complete semester enrollments is depicted in Figure 8 (below).
Figure 7. IOAPA enrollment change from 2015-16 to 2016-17
846
414
89
503
387
657
570
183
Middle School Students
High School Students
2015-16
Total Students
Total Semester Enrollments
2016-17
Figure 8. 2016-2017 IOAPA enrollment by discipline
World Languages, 29, 3% Computer Science, 139, 15%
Social Science, 289, 30%
Math, 139, 15% Science, 80, 8%
History, 73, 8%
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English, 203, 21%
o The course completion rate was 96.6%. (Retention rate for all online learning opportunities is 20%-50% nationally.)
o Passing rate, determined by the grade earned by the students who completed a course, has been between 83-96% each year. Partnerships with schools and active mentors are the key to this high level of success. The overall passing rate for all courses was 88.74% in Fall 2016 and 83.95% in Spring 2017. (These are weighted averages to account for uneven sample sizes, with a much smaller group of MS students than HS students.)
Student performance declined slightly over the course of this year. The disparity was somewhat more notable for high school students (89.9% in Fall 2016 and 83.7% in Spring 2017). Middle school students were consistently successful during 2016-2017, with passing rates of 85.8% in Fall 2016 and 84.5% in Spring 2017.
2016-2017 school participation in IOAPA •
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In 2016-2017, 138 schools, in 63 of Iowa’s 99 counties, were IOAPA-registered schools. This total includes 107 high schools and 31 middle schools. Compared to last year, high school participation has remained steady (106 schools last year), but middle school participation has increased (24 schools last year).
Figure 9 (pp. 12-13) maps IOAPA participation by county, both in terms of (A) the number of students taking classes through IOAPA, and (B) the number of schools registered with IOAPA, where blue pins indicate schools that enrolled students in both courses and AP Exam Reviews, and white pins indicate schools that enrolled students in AP Exam Reviews only.
Figure 9. 2016-2017 IOAPA registered schools and number of IOAPA students by county (A)
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(B)
Table 2 (pp. 13-14) reports the percentage of public and nonpublic school participation in IOAPA, according to K – 12 student population of the enrolled schools’ districts. Part (A) breaks Iowa and IOAPA-registered schools down into size categories, from small to large, to examine whether IOAPA is being utilized by Iowa’s schools in a representative manner. These data suggest there is still work to be done to bring advanced courses to Iowa schools, especially for small schools. Part (B) examines the ways in which IOAPA-registered schools of various sizes are using the program, with a breakdown of the percentage of IOAPA schools, in each size category, that are using middle school courses, high school courses, or AP Exam Reviews only. These data suggest that our middle school courses are currently utilized more by the larger schools, while our high school courses are utilized more by the smaller schools. Table 2. Percentage of School Participation in IOAPA by Size Category (A)
< 300
300-599
600-999
1,000-2,499
2,500-7,499
7,500+
Percent of Total Iowa Schools
24.4
23.5
22.8
21.2
5.3
2.8
Percent of Total IOAPA Schools
5.4
17.7
16.9
35.4
16.2
7.7
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(B) Percent of Total IOAPA Schools With Middle School Courses Percent of Total IOAPA Schools With High School Courses Percent of Total IOAPA Schools Using Exam Reviews Only
< 300
300-599
600-999
1,000-2,499
2,500-7,499
7,500+
0.0
15.8
32.0
24.4
40.0
60.0
100.0
89.5
76.0
75.6
55.0
40.0
0.0
0.0
4.0
2.2
10.0
0.0
*These columns do not always add up to 100%, because there is some overlap between middle schools and high schools (e.g., schools that serve students in grades K-12 or 6-12).
Online AP exam review •
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IOAPA also covers the cost of the registration for online AP Exam Review through Apex Learning. Registration for AP Exam Review is for students in all AP classes in all Iowa accredited schools, not just those in IOAPA courses. However, schools must be registered with the IOAPA program before site coordinators can sign students up for the AP Exam Review.
AP Exam Review was available for the following AP courses for the 2016-2017 school year: Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, U.S. Government & Politics, and U.S. History.
In the 2016-2017 school year, there were 1,037 student registrations for online AP Exam Review. IOAPA pays for a student; each student can then enroll in multiple AP Exam Review courses. The total number of exam review modules in which students participated was 1,357. Participation in AP Exam Review by content area for 2016-2017: o English: 435 (32.1%) o Math: 184 (13.6%) o Science: 134 (9.9%) o Social Studies: 578 (42.6%) o World Languages: 26 (1.9%)
Professional development •
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IOAPA provides professional development grants for teachers to participate in the College Boardapproved Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) at the University of Iowa. Since 2001, 854 IOAPA grants have been distributed for Iowa teachers to attend AP teacher training (APTTI), including 55 grants in June 2017. Since 2001, 2,587 teachers have participated in APTTI, including the 108 teachers who attended APTTI in 2017. 12
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All 2017 APTTI participants received AP-preparatory and AP teacher materials, including textbooks from the College Board and other book publishing companies.
All 2017 APTTI participants were offered the opportunity to enroll in courses for University of Iowa credit, through the College of Education, with a 50% tuition scholarship from the Belin-Blank Center: o 13 teachers enrolled in a 2-credit-hour course focusing on teacher training for Advanced Placement courses. o 11 teachers enrolled in a 1-credit-hour course focusing on differentiated instruction at the secondary school level. •
In 2015, the College of Education began offering Iowa Licensure Renewal Units for successful completion of APTTI, through the support of the Teacher Leader Center. This year, 18 Iowa teachers each earned two Iowa Licensure Renewal Units at APTTI.
Support for Middle School Students •
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One of the best ways to determine who is ready for additional academic challenge is through the above-level testing model. The Belin-Blank Center's academic talent search program, Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS),—offered in-school, above-level testing for Iowa students in 6th grade, funded through IOAPA.
In-school testing was used with 6th graders so schools and parents could use the information to determine readiness for advanced learning opportunities in middle school, thus paving the way to AP participation in high school.
BESTS uses I-Excel, a new online, above-level test for 4th-6th-grade students developed by the Belin-Blank Center. I-Excel licenses content developed by ACT that was designed to measure academic progress of junior high students. From that content, the Belin-Blank Center identifies the academic talents of bright 4th-6th-grade students.
In the 2016-2017 school year, 952 6th graders from 59 Iowa schools participated in above-level testing through IOAPA (see Table 3, p. 16-17).
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Table 3. Middle schools participating in 6 th -grade above-level testing through IOAPA (N = 59) SCHOOL ADM Middle School North Polk Middle School Ames Home School Assistance Program Ames Middle School Starmont Middle School Atlantic Middle School Davis County Middle School Sacred Heart School Southeast Webster Junior High Prairie Creek Charles City Middle School Gerald W Kirn Middle School Woodrow Wilson Middle School Dubuque Community Schools Robert Blue School Earlham Elementary School Eddyville Elementary Eddyville Attendance Center Cardinal Middle-Senior High School Emmetsburg Middle School Estherville Lincoln Central Middle School Fairfield Middle School Drexler Middle-Intermediate School Fort Dodge Middle School Fort Madison Middle School Harlan Community Middle School St Mary's Elementary School Keokuk Middle School Keota Elementary School Central Decatur MS/Sr High School North Cedar Lowden Elementary Center West Delaware Middle School Maquoketa Middle School Lenihan Intermediate School Jefferson Elementary School Lincoln Intermediate Collins-Maxwell Middle/High School North Cedar Mechanicsville Elementary Center Mount Pleasant Middle School Mount Vernon Middle School Central Middle School West Middle School Nevada Middle School North Mahaska Elementary School
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CITY Adel Alleman Ames Ames Arlington Atlantic Bloomfield Boone Burnside Cedar Rapids Charles City Council Bluffs Council Bluffs Dubuque Eagle Grove Earlham Eddyville Eldon Emmetsburg Estherville Fairfield Farley Fort Dodge Fort Madison Harlan Humboldt Keokuk Keota Leon Lowden Manchester Maquoketa Marshalltown Mason City Mason City Maxwell Mechanicsville Mount Pleasant Mount Vernon Muscatine Muscatine Nevada New Sharon
COUNTY Dallas Polk Story Story Fayette Cass Davis Boone Webster Linn Floyd Pottawattamie Pottawattamie Null Wright Madison Wapello Wapello Palo Alto Emmet Jefferson Dubuque Webster Lee Shelby Humboldt Lee Keokuk Decatur Cedar Delaware Jackson Marshall Cerro Gordo Cerro Gordo Story Cedar Henry Linn Muscatine Muscatine Story Mahaska
Norway Elementary School Oelwein Middle School Oskaloosa Middle School Spring Creek 6th Grade Center PCM Middle School Sioux Center Middle School East Middle School North Middle School West Middle School Solon Middle School Spencer Middle School Des Moines Christian Schools Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School West Branch Middle School St Francis Of Assisi School Mary Welsh Elementary •
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Norway Oelwein Oskaloosa Pleasant Hill Prairie City Sioux Center Sioux City Sioux City Sioux City Solon Spencer Urbandale Vinton West Branch West Des Moines Williamsburg
On a scoring scale of 1 to 25, the 6th graders taking I-Excel scored an average composite score of 16. This score corresponds to an average national percentile ranking (i.e., comparison to 8th graders, the normative group for whom the test was developed) at the 64th percentile. In other words, the highly-able 6th graders who took the I-Excel test out-performed 8th graders, by doing as well as, or better, than 64% of the 8th grade sample. These 6th graders were part of a national sample of bright 6th graders who participate in the nationwide elementary student talent search. Iowa’s 6th graders did as well as, or better than, 24% of the national sample of bright 6th graders.
Support for IOAPA Schools •
Benton Fayette Mahaska Polk Jasper Sioux Woodbury Woodbury Woodbury Johnson Clay Polk Benton Cedar Dallas Iowa
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012) predicts that computer occupations will grow at a rate of 22.1% between 2010 and 2020, with software developers growing by 32.4%. These jobs will also pay well, with computer and information research scientists expected to earn an annual salary of $100,600. Despite this predicted growth, only 10% of Iowa schools teach an AP Computer Science course, the state currently has no K-12 Computer Science curriculum standards, and high schools are not required to offer Computer Science courses (https://code.org/promote/ia). To help fill this gap, we established a new partnership with online course vendor Edhesive, to offer three new computer science courses: Introduction to Computer Science (grades 6-9), AP Computer Science A (grades 9-12), and AP Computer Science Principles (grades 9-12). These courses were added to our course catalog and offered to Iowa students for the first time during the 2016-2017 academic year. Together, these courses will create the option for Iowa students to develop Computer Science literacy and mastery upon high school graduation, making them more competitive in their future endeavors. All Edhesive courses also come with professional development materials for mentors, along with student and mentor support forums, where participants can interact with other students/mentors and submit questions for course instructional staff to answer. 15
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•
•
•
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We combined IOAPA mentor feedback with information we received from the Computer Science course vendor, Edhesive, to implement new registration requirements for AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles. Both of these courses require more mentor time and involvement than is typical with our other courses, especially AP Computer Science Principles. Because of this, schools must now contact the IOAPA team before enrolling students in these courses. The IOAPA team then ensures that the mentor has read our recommendations and is able to commit to the time and work involved. Registration for Introduction to Computer Science continues to follow typical online registration procedures.
Through Apex Learning, we added Spanish I (Honors) to our course catalog (grades 6-8), beginning in Fall 2016. It was previously very difficult or impossible for students to complete the prerequisite 3-4 years of high school-level Spanish courses necessary for enrollment in AP Spanish by grade 12. Bright middle school students will now be able to complete the first year of highschool level Spanish before grade 9, placing them on a trajectory to enroll in AP Spanish by grade 12. This year, IOAPA began using a shared email account (ioapa@belinblank.org) to allow for more efficient team coordination and better customer support. All emails regarding IOAPA are directed to this account, where emails are assigned to the appropriate team member, and common messages and replies are saved for easy access.
We collected and evaluated program data regarding 2015-16 student enrollment and performance in all IOAPA courses. These data were incorporated into three infographics (middle school, high school, Computer Science), which break down large amounts of complex information into a visual and easy-to-understand format. These three infographics are included at the end of this report. We distributed these infographics widely during our 2016-17 registration periods, in order to help students and teachers make decisions about which IOAPA courses may be a good fit for individual students. We have also produced updated infographics reflecting the 2016-17 academic year, made available in time for the 2017-18 registration periods.
Our website (www.belinblank.org/ioapa) serves as the central location for spreading awareness and information about the advanced coursework opportunities available to Iowa students through IOAPA. Last year, the IOAPA website was updated to increase readability and user-friendliness. We are now better able to inform and support new, continuing, and prospective IOAPA partners with a more organized website. Throughout the 2016-17 academic year, we have continued to make minor improvements as needed. Most notably, we have added helpful information to the Support Materials page, including student performance data broken down by class, and a series of blog posts containing recommendations from IOAPA mentors for dealing with logistical issues surrounding the implementation of IOAPA middle school courses within the schools. We also used this page of the website to continue distributing an IOAPA Handbook, an informational PowerPoint presentation to help mentors and site coordinators implement IOAPA in their home school districts, and a video introduction of the Apex course instructors. IOAPA regularly uses the Belin-Blank Center blog (http://belinblank.wordpress.com/) and a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/belinblankIOAPA) to promote student success and retention. Together, these accounts are currently reaching 4,340 followers (4,050 blog followers, 290 Twitter followers). A collection of 2016-2017 IOAPA blog posts is included at the end of this document. 16
SUMMARY OF 2016– 2017 The Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) provides four primary areas of activity: 1. online above-level and AP coursework; 2. online AP exam review; 3. professional development about AP courses, provided by College Board Consultants; 4. above-level assessment to provide specific data that aligns readiness for accelerated programming.
In 2016-17, IOAPA expanded its offerings to include additional above-level coursework available to all eligible Iowa middle school students, in order to better prepare Iowa’s students for AP coursework once they reach high school. IOAPA also added three Computer Science courses to its catalog in order to help fill the gap in Computer Science education that currently exists in Iowa and across the nation.
In 2016 (most recent data available), a greater number of Iowa high school seniors took an AP exam and earned a score of 3 (or higher), than the total number of Iowa students participating in the AP program in 2006. Iowa students who take AP exams continue to out-perform the national average. Iowa Online AP Academy students who take AP exams outperform Iowa students as a whole.
Participation in AP programming (coursework, professional development, and exam review) continues to increase in Iowa – and across the nation. IOAPA is an important resource for Iowa’s excellent students, their teachers, and their schools. IOAPA can bridge the gap between Iowa’s performance and the nation’s, because, despite continuous growth, overall AP participation in Iowa remains lower than the national average.
ON THE HORIZON Research/Evaluation program
IOAPA began a comprehensive self-study and program review in Spring 2014, which continued throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, to examine how to make students’ long-term educational experience better and/or more effective. Since 2014, we have been collecting data and establishing a research agenda to examine questions around three main themes: 1) identification and access to advanced coursework opportunities; 2) student and teacher engagement in advanced coursework opportunities; and 3) student, teacher, and school outcomes related to advanced coursework opportunities. Through this agenda, we plan to explore Mentor perceptions of AP courses compared to Concurrent Enrollment courses, in terms of the academic qualities students need for success in these courses, and the preparation they each offer for college. We also plan to examine any barriers that may prevent IOAPA students from taking an AP Exam, in an effort to determine how we might help remove barriers and increase Iowa students’ AP participation and exam scores.
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Chromebooks outreach project
IOAPA will be distributing up to twenty (20) Chromebooks to small and/or rural schools whose IOAPA students struggle with access to a computer for an appropriate number of hours each week. For example, some students may have access to a school computer lab during the day, but may not have sufficient shared access on a home computer to complete their studies or homework. We are targeting IOAPA-registered schools that have an NCES designation of small and/or rural and surveying mentors to ask whether any of their students fit this description. As we find matches, we will distribute Chromebooks for the student(s) to use for the duration of their IOAPA course.
Collaboration with Iowa STEM Excellence and Leadership (SEAL)
In 2014, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF), the nation’s largest scholarship organization, awarded the Talent Development Award to the Belin-Blank Center in order to establish the Iowa STEM Excellence and Leadership (SEAL) program. The extracurricular math and science program for high-potential middle-school students from predominately rural, low-income school districts allows students to be better prepared for AP classes offered through IOAPA. In 2017, the SEAL program received an additional 2-year grant from JKCF as part of the rural talent initiative as well as a 4-year grant from the National Science Foundation. Together, these grants and the teams that are in place to implement the projects, will build upon the current programming established from 2014-2017. IOAPA continues to work with the SEAL program to support its students as they transition to high school, and to plan a long-term research project examining the factors that influence such students’ participation, retention, and success in advanced coursework.
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SELECTED RESOURCES Code.org. (n.d.) Promote computer science - Iowa. https://code.org/promote/ia Accessed on: July 13, 2017. College Board. (2016). National totals: School AP score distributions by total and ethnic group. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/national-summary-2016.xls Accessed on: July 13, 2017. College Board. (2016). Iowa totals: School AP score distributions by total and ethnic group. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/iowa-summary-2016.xlsx Accessed on: July 13, 2017.
College Board. (2016). Program summary report. https://securemedia.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/research/2016/Program-Summary-Report-2016.pdf Accessed on: July 13, 2017. Iowa Department of Education. (2016). The Annual Condition of Education Report. https://www.educateiowa.gov/documents/annual-condition-education-report-pk12/2017/07/annual-condition-education-report-2016 Accessed on: July 13, 2017. McKillip, M.E.M. and A. Rawls. (2013). A closer examination of the academic benefits of AP. The Journal of Educational Research. 106:4. 305-318. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2012.692732 Theokas and Saaris. (2013). Finding America’s missing AP and IB students. The Education Trust.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012). Occupational employment projections to 2020. http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/01/art5full.pdf Accessed on: August 15, 2015.
Wilson, H.E. and J.L. Adelson. (2012). College choices of academically talented secondary students. Journal of Advanced Academics, 23(1), 32-35.
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APPENDIX A: AP PARTICIPATION VS. DUAL ENROLLMENT While the AP Program most closely matches the rigor of coursework at a 4-year university, it is only one of several options for students to earn college credit while still in high school. Other options include concurrent enrollment in community college courses and post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) through community colleges or other institutions of higher education.
Figure 10A reports Iowa student enrollment in these programs; Figure 10B reports the type of institutions through which students choose to enroll in PSEO courses. Figure 10 shows that, while AP participation has been steadily, yet incrementally, increasing since 2001, many thousands of students are choosing community college enrollment. These data demonstrate a need to emphasize the benefits of AP to schools and students for whom more rigorous coursework is appropriate. Figure 10. Iowa high school student enrollment in college credit programs
(A) Student enrollment by program type 2001-2016 (most recent data available) 45000
40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000
5000
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 AP Program
Concurrent Enrollment
PSEO
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(B) PSEO enrollment by institution type 2001-2009 (most recent data available) 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Regents Institutions PSEO Course Enrollment at Regents Institutions (9-12 graders) Community Colleges at Comm. Colleges (9-12 graders) PSEO Course Enrollment Private 4-year Institutions PSEO Course Enrollment at Private 4-yr (9-12 graders) Private 2-year Institutions PSEO Course Enrollment at Private 2-yr (9-12 graders)
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History and Funding of the
In 2007, IOAPA was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the nation’s top six programs to feature in its report "Connecting Students to Advanced Courses Online: Innovations in Education". In November 2009, the Iowa Department of Education released the publication "Senior Year Plus: Guide for Educators and Educational Administrators", which was subsequently updated in April 2016. Senior Year Plus was enacted by the Iowa Legislature in 2008 to provide increased and more equal access to college credit and Advanced Placement courses. The Senior Year Plus program (Iowa Code 261E.1) “shall consist of … Advanced Placement classes” (see Iowa Code 261E.4 for more). The obligation to offer AP courses can be met by encouraging students to participate in IOAPA. The Senior Year Plus program also includes a provision to ensure that AP teachers are appropriately licensed and meet the minimum certification requirements for AP.
2001 Federal technology grant awarded to B-BC through Iowa DOE ($1.6 million) through 2003 498 students & 156 teachers enroll in IOAPA and APTTI
2003 US DOE awards B-BC $5 million in grant extensions led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).
2004 IOAPA no longer delivered via Iowa Communications Network (ICN)
2005 1,519 students & 215 teachers enroll in IOAPA and APTTI B-BC publishes first AP Index for Iowa schools
2007 State appropriations ($400,000) provide support for IOAPA IOAPA highlighted in "Connecting Students to Advanced Courses Online," published by US DOE
2008 Iowa Governor's Conference on Advanced Placement
2009 Partnership with Iowa DOE ($746,000) through 2011
2011 Funding through state of Iowa ($963,698) through 2013
2012 Middle school students enroll in IOAPA
2013 Funding through state of Iowa ($963,698) through 2015
2015 Funding through state of Iowa ($481,848) through 2016 Computer Science offered through IOAPA IOAPA highlighted in National Journal's "The Next America" initiative
2016 Funding through state of Iowa ($481,848) through 2017 503 students & 125 teachers enroll in IOAPA and APTTI
2017 Funding through state of Iowa ($481,848) through 2018 Environmental Science courses offered through IOAPA
SOURCES https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/advanced/index.html
Iowa Code 261E.1 Iowa Code 261E.4
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Ac.wEMY
Al I Students Before registering for IOAPA courses, middle school students should take an above-level exam to determine eligibility.
To find out how to offer above level testing at your school through the Belin-Blank Center, and for information on funding, visit belinblank.org/inschooltesting.
6th graders can take I-Excel, and 7th and 8th graders can take the ACT. Above-level testing can show what students are ready to learn next, which helps in planning courses and other accelerative opportunities.
f+2=
Recommended for:
Algebra 1
Students in Grades 6-8 who have mastered Pre-Algebra concepts
Average grade among a group of 6th and 7th graders
CICICICI CICICICI CICICI
Students kept up with the course schedule, with a 99.9% on schedule rate
Recommended for:
Creative Writing
Students in grades 7-8 and/or students who have experiences with fast-paced courses and large workloads
' 70: 60: 40 30: 20:' 10: 0 :__------------------------------ CMerall Grade Quality of Work On-Schedule.. • 6th
• 7th
6th graders obtained low overall grades due to difficulties with pace, rather than content
• 8th
Recommended for:
Physical Science
I
#a a
'-.. I6th graders, seemed to
Students in Grades 6-8 who are capable of a heavy workload
More than half of the students initially enrolled withdrew by the end of the fall semester, suggesting a high level of work required
I
struggle with content more than older students "' '
Recommended for:
Psychology
Students in Grades 6-8 with an interest in the subject area
This was one of the most popular courses in 2015-2016
-
6th graders outperformed other students in overall grade, quality of work, and on-schedule percentage
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indicofe th B . B 5%) course.atth e IS Op PropriateJ cho/feng· Y tng
Average Grade: B+
Content vs. Pace
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0000
' Performance on course content was variable across course offerings.
In general, students were successful at keeping up with course pacing.
7th graders had difficulty with Probability and Statistics content.
All students succeeded with Probability and Statistics pacing.
All students succeeded with Creative Writing content.
Sixth graders struggled with the pace of Creative Writing.
For more information on IOAPA. visit belinblank.org/ioapa.
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Welcome to #APTTI2016! Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Welcome to all 125 educators joining us this week at the Belin-Blank Center, where you will receive comprehensive preparation for developing and teaching an Advanced Placement course! This week, you will learn about AP updates, discuss teaching strategies, peruse course materials, prepare for your upcoming course, and network with colleagues from near and far. For those interested, you have an additional opportunity to earn academic credit or Iowa Licensure Renewal Units for your work here at APTTI and beyond. We hope your week here is productive, and that you leave here with a host of resources that you can put to use this fall. We also hope that you are able to connect with others and be resources to each other! To that end, we have several social media channels where you can connect with those in your own workshop, or in others, as well as with the Belin-Blank Center. Use the hashtag #APTTI2016 on your favorite social media platforms to connect! Tell us what you’re learning, make dinner plans, or just chat with each other. We will be posting information and watching for questions, using program director, Kristin Flanary’s, Twitter account: @kflanaryIOAPA. As an added bonus, we will be hosting several giveaways this week! The more you connect, the better your chances to win. You can earn entries by following @kflanaryIOAPA on Twitter, visiting the Belin-Blank Center facebook page, and/or tweeting a message on your own account. Prizes include $25 Amazon.com gift cards, copies of Serving Gifted Students in Rural Settings and A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students, a goodie bag full of Hawkeye merchandise, and an Apple TV. Winners must be registered and present at APTTI. Click below for details and to enter to win.
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Have a great week! CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GIVEAWAY! Winners will be selected via Rafflecopter.com and be notified by email. Winners will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Each winner may win only one prize. Two to five winners will be selected each day from July 5-8, 2016; all winners will be notified by July 9, 2016. Prizes can be picked up at 600 Blank Honors Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 by July 9, 2016.
In Case You Missed It: Developing an AP Culture Thursday, July 07, 2016 This post was originally published in December 2015. Enjoy! When talking with many of our schools, we hear that one of the keys to building a successful AP program is fostering an environment where academic achievement is valued, especially within the AP context. Many of our Iowa Online AP Academy schools and AP Index schools report that developing an AP culture has been key to their school’s efforts in increasing AP course and exam participation, which can lead to greater opportunities for students. For schools where AP participation is low or other opportunities, such as dual enrollment, may be more popular, how can staff create a culture that encourages AP participation? • Ensure students are prepared for advanced coursework in high school. Many AP courses have prerequisites to ensure that students are challenged without being frustrated. The College Board encourages schools to consider developing courses beginning in sixth grade that provide this foundation through Pre-AP. Because PreAP courses can take many forms, schools have some flexibility in how they choose to implement these guidelines. For some schools, taking advantage of the IOAPA middle school classes may be a great way to introduce the idea of AP preparation within their district. • Provide opportunities for students to learn about AP courses. Many schools provide an AP Information Night that allows students and parents to ask questions about what an AP course entails. This can also be a great opportunity for teachers and coordinators to explain the benefits of taking AP classes, the differences between AP and concurrent enrollment courses, and more details about why to take the AP exam. Both the College Board and IOAPA provide resources to help schools develop these presentations and provide resources to parents and families. • Utilize AP exam review. For IOAPA students, online AP exam review is provided through Apex Learning for no additional cost to provide student with opportunities to
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study and improve their understanding of the subject prior to the exam. For other Iowa students, AP Exam Review is also provided at no cost based on available seats. This format coupled with other opportunities to review for the exam can increase student confidence and willingness to take the exam for their course. • Acknowledge student accomplishments. Students work hard in AP courses and to prepare for the exam. Recognize their initiative by honoring them at school awards ceremonies or establishing an AP Exam Breakfast following exams to honor student achievement. Some schools also choose to encourage participation in AP classes through grade weighting or providing funding for students to take AP exams. For some students, this can be the extra push that’s needed to take an AP course over a regular course. • Develop a strong support team within your school. Whether offering classes on-site or through channels such as IOAPA, schools must designate an individual to serve as the AP coordinator. This person often coordinates the logistics of helping students sign up for and take exams. However, the AP coordinator’s job is often dependent on the support of other teachers and administrators. Building a team that includes AP teachers, IOAPA mentors, and other staff members can help ensure collaboration on the vision for AP programming at your school. • Encourage teachers to receive AP instructor training. In order to develop a successful AP program, teachers must develop and submit a course audit to the College Board to ensure that courses are being taught in a consistent way. For teachers, this can be a daunting task, and providing opportunities for teachers to attend AP training can help. The College Board provides a list of AP Summer Institutes on their website (including APTTI, our AP training institute held in July). Other helpful resources from the College Board can be found below: How to start an AP course AP Programs in Rural Schools
Iowa Online AP Academy Mentors: Advice and Resources Thursday, August 25, 2016 Welcome to another exciting year of IOAPA courses! We know there is a lot going on this time of year, so we gathered up some resources and advice to kick off the IOAPA year all in one place so you can check it out now and refer back anytime. Advice from IOAPA Mentors: In a survey at the end of last year, we asked mentors what advice they would give new mentors and site coordinators. Here are some of the most common pieces of advice and recommendations that both new and returning mentors may appreciate. • Meet face-to-face with students regularly. Several responders suggested scheduling meetings once per week to check in, discuss grades and progress, and answer student questions. • Establish methods of communicating with students between meetings. A few responders reported using text messaging as the best way for them and their students. The specific method used may differ, but the important thing is determining what works best for you and your students.
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• Get familiar with the course vendor’s system before you jump in with students. Whether you’re using Apex or Edhesive, there are idiosyncrasies within the systems that are important to be aware of. Multiple IOAPA mentors noted the importance of reading and watching all support materials and orientation videos, and some also suggest being present while students watch their orientation videos so you can see the student side as well. • Communicate regularly with parents/guardians. One person reported using the automated email feature to provide weekly updates, and many mentors indicated the importance of ensuring that parents/guardians are involved in the process. • Plan for more support than you think your students might need. Several mentors noted that it can be difficult to get students back on track if they fall behind, so they suggest overestimating the amount of support students will need. It’s easier to fade the support as the year goes on than to catch a student up if they get off track early. • Arrange times that you can be present while the student does their coursework. This can be difficult to schedule, but several mentors observed that it can be helpful. One person reported that sitting in on the quizzes early in the year helped them help students become acquainted with the Apex language and system. Another noted that consistent appointments for coursework can facilitate scheduling proctored exams. • Have back-up plans. Seek another adult in the building who can give students access to their work space or materials or unlock tests in Apex if you are absent, away from the building or unreachable for any reason. • Seek help when you need it, and encourage your students to do the same. IOAPA staff are here to help with any questions you have, or to find answers if we don’t know immediately. The course instructors are another great resource if your students are having trouble with course material (particularly if it’s a subject area with which you are less familiar). Don’t hesitate to ask questions. • Be your students’ cheerleader! Provide your students with all the support and encouragement they need to be successful, and have conversations with them about what they need to do to achieve that success. One mentor said, “Many of my students have never had to work so hard.” Recognize that students’ self-confidence may be tested, and that they may need more support in nonacademic domains than academic ones. For additional resources, check out our previous post on this topic here or peruse the IOAPA Mentor Handbook. Do you have more suggestions for other mentors? Share them with us on Twitter using #IOAPA. You can also follow us on Twitter: @kflanaryIOAPA and @belinblank.
Nonacademic Skills and IOAPA Students Thursday, September 01, 2016 I came across this article from Education Week on the importance of nonacademic skills for learning, and it inspired me to think about how these skills might affect IOAPA students. In this context, we’ll use the term ‘nonacademic skills’ to refer to skills and attributes not measured by traditional standardized testing, including things like selfregulation, growth mindset, and problem-solving skills. Research suggests that many bright students may experience perfectionism and competitiveness, and may have difficulty tolerating frustration and managing stress. In addition, when faced with challenge, students’ self-esteem may suffer. IOAPA coursework is likely more difficult than anything students have previously experienced, 6
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and this may be an unpleasant shock and result in unexpected issues. In order to help our students overcome these challenges, we must first understand what areas are in need of support. One way to accomplish this is to use tools like ACT Engage (free to schools through the Belin-Blank Center!) to find areas in which each student may need additional attention. Other ways to assess nonacademic skills include questionnaires, observations, and interviews. Once we know the areas in which students need help, what can we do to support them? Above all, it is important to encourage hard work and to decrease the focus on earning high grades. In addition, teachers must recognize that high academic achievement does not necessarily mean that the student is similarly mature across domains; students may have the academic skills to understand the content, but may lack the study or time management skills necessary to succeed in high-level coursework. They might need instruction on these skills to achieve success. What strategies do you have for supporting students’ nonacademic needs? Let us know in the comments or using #IOAPA.
Resources for AP Students Thursday, September 08, 2016 One benefit of Advanced Placement courses is that there are plenty of resources specifically designed to align with the course content. We rounded up several of those resources for students to support their AP experience. • College Board resources: AP for Students: This website contains information about AP in general and AP exam scores and credit and placement policies, and is also where students go to access their AP scores from previous years. • AP Courses: On this page, you’ll find links to sites for each AP course. These sites include course details and study skills relevant to that particular course. For example, on the AP US History course page, students can access study tips for reading and writing, as well as sample exam questions and tips. • Non-College Board resources: Note: These sites are not affiliated with or endorsed by College Board. Albert – Test Prep: This site includes practice exam questions for 27 different AP courses. • Study Notes: This website contains chapter outlines and study notes for 7 AP courses. • BestAPBooks: This site offers lists of the best books to use to prepare for AP exams in 31 subjects. • Twitter accounts: @AP_Trevor and @APforStudents: College Board accounts that share study tips, resources, and information about AP courses and exams. • @kflanaryIOAPA and @belinblank: For all things IOAPA, and resources relevant to IOAPA students and teachers. For IOAPA-related questions, visit belinblank.org/ioapa or contact us by email. Do you know of other resources for AP students? Tell us in the comments or using #IOAPA.
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Comparing AP and Other College Credit Opportunities Thursday, September 15, 2016 Periodically, we review Iowa students’ options for earning college credit. This post is an adaptation of an earlier post from September 2014. We have discussed some of the differences between AP and other ways to earn college credit in the past, but the various options for students are many and often overwhelming. Why might Iowa Online AP Academy courses be a good fit compared to other options? What are my options for college-level coursework as a high school student? • Advanced Placement (AP) is a nationally recognized program administered by the College Board. Students have the option to enroll in a wide range of different courses and take an exam in May. In Iowa, schools also have the opportunity to participate in the Iowa Online AP Academy, which allows high school students to enroll in online AP coursework for courses their school may not offer. • International Baccalaureate (IB) is another widely-used program in which high school students enroll in an advanced curriculum and then take examinations for college credit. One main difference between AP and IB is that IB is a curriculumcentered program in which you enroll in several IB courses at once. • Concurrent Enrollment is an initiative offered by the state of Iowa that allows high school students to enroll in community college courses while still in high school. • Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) also allows high school students to enroll part-time at either two- or four-year colleges or universities. How do credits transfer for these options? • AP: Passing an AP exam with a score of 3 or higher generally allows students to earn either advanced standing (by waiving otherwise required courses) or credits (as if the student had taken and passed the course) for entry-level college courses. For example, receiving a 4 or higher on the AP Biology exam gives you credit for a specific University of Iowa course (BIOL:1140 Human Biology) that might apply towards your degree. • IB: If students pass an IB exam with a score above a certain threshold (at the University of Iowa, this threshold is a 5 or higher), then the student may receive course credit for required or general education courses. • Concurrent Enrollment and PSEO: Generally, if students pass their class with a C- or higher, they receive college credit. However, this credit may or may not transfer to their post-secondary institution of choice. For example, passing Bio 112 (General Biology I) at Kirkwood Community College transfers in as a natural science general education elective at the University of Iowa, rather than as a specific course in a degree area (which the AP score example above earns). What does the Iowa Online AP Academy offer that other programs do not? The Iowa Online AP Academy framework works with your high school curriculum so that you can take advanced classes that are of interest to you. In addition, Advanced Placement courses are nationally recognized as a way to earn college course credit at many colleges and universities across the nation. Finally, as an online program, IOAPA also offers flexibility that traditional courses may not in terms of scheduling, as well as
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practice with online course formats. Will Iowa Online AP Academy courses prepare students in the same ways as traditional AP courses? Iowa Online AP Program students who take the AP exam generally perform just as well as, if not better than, students who participate in traditional AP courses. Students who enroll in IOAPA courses also tend to successfully complete them—during the 2015-2016 school year, the completion rate for IOAPA high school courses was 95.6%, and of those students, 90% successfully passed their course. How can I learn more? You can learn more about IOAPA by visiting our website. The University of Iowa’s AP credit policy is here, or you can visit the College Board’s AP Credit Policy database for the policies of other colleges and universities. You can also read about the state of Iowa’s Senior Year Plus initiative for more specifics on earning college credit in high school.
Middle School IOAPA and High School Credit Thursday, September 22, 2016 Advanced coursework is extremely beneficial for high ability students at all levels. At the secondary level, though, concerns about earning credits and grades may influence the decision to offer or take appropriately challenging coursework. Schools often have difficulty determining how to assign credit for advanced coursework, especially at the middle school level. When middle school students take high school-level courses, it can be difficult to decide whether to assign credit for those courses at the middle school level, high school level, or both. See this post for more conversation on that issue. Once a school decides how to grant credit, another conversation arises. If a middle school student is earning high school credit for a course, should their grade for that course be applied to their high school transcript? What if the grade is lower than the student typically earns and there are concerns about high school GPA and class rank? We heard from one school about how they handled this situation: School personnel, parents, and students were concerned that by taking a challenging high school math course in middle school, the students’ high school GPAs will be affected before they even enter high school. As a result of these concerns, this school chose to offer the course as pass/fail, rather than as a graded course. This allowed the students to take the advanced course in middle school and earn high school credit, without their final grades being assigned on their high school transcript. High school graduation requirements are another important consideration in handling this situation, however. In this particular school’s example, ungraded courses do not count toward the required number of courses in the content area. (For example, if a student needs 4 graded English courses to graduate, and they take the advanced Creative Writing course as pass/fail, that course would not count toward the graduation requirement.) This school gave students the option to convert the pass/fail marker assigned for the course taken in middle school back to the grade they received, therefore IOAPA 16-17 Blog Posts
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allowing that course to count toward the graduation requirement. They could make this change at any point in their high school career. This allowance is important, because it makes it possible for students to complete high school requirements earlier than typical, opening up time in their schedules for further acceleration – including (but not limited to) early high school graduation and early entrance to college. Let us know how your school handles credit conundrums using #IOAPA or in the comments below. For more information about IOAPA for middle school students, check out our middle school blog series or the IOAPA website.
A (New) Visual Guide to Middle School IOAPA Courses Monday, October 03, 2016 With the introduction of our middle school courses in Fall 2015, many students and teachers may still have questions about the types of courses offered by the Iowa Online AP Academy, who these classes might benefit, and how to select students who will be prepared for and challenged by online coursework. Based on the information and experiences we have gathered so far, we are excited to provide a visual guide to our middle school classes! These data are based on middle school Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) courses taken during the 2015-2016 school year. We hope they will be helpful as you and your students consider IOAPA registration in Spring 2017 and beyond. If you are looking for more information about IOAPA’s middle school classes, check out our past posts on middle school courses and above-level testing, or visit our website. Make sure to check back here soon for our guide to high school courses!
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Spring IOAPA Registration is Approaching! Thursday, October 06, 2016 Spring registration for Iowa Online AP Academy courses will open on November 7 and continue through December 14, 2016. Seats will be limited, so be sure to register promptly if you can! Available high school courses are: AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology, and AP US Government. Available middle school courses are: Creative Writing, Introduction to Computer Science, Probability and Statistics, Psychology, and Honors US History to the Civil War. To register, visit our website ( www.belinblank.org/ioapa). If your school registered with IOAPA in the fall, there’s no need to re-register the school. Just click “Enroll Your School” on our website, and you will be redirected to the student nomination step. Students enrolled in year-long classes will be automatically enrolled in the second semester of their course, unless they inform us that they would like to drop, or receive a failing grade for the fall term. For a step-by-step registration guide, check out this post. Middle school students interested in enrolling in IOAPA courses should take an abovelevel test to determine eligibility: 6 th graders take I-Excel, the new online test developed by the Belin-Blank Center, and 7 th and 8 th graders take the ACT. For eligibility guidelines, see the Requirements page. For more on above-level testing in general, see this page and this post. Our website includes helpful information about IOAPA courses and registration. Visit the Getting Started page first, and click around to find the IOAPA handbook, information about how to talk to administrators and students about IOAPA, and information about the AP exam and free AP Exam Reviews available to all Iowa AP students. Still deciding what class might be a good fit for your student? We created a visual guide to IOAPA middle school courses based on last year’s course outcomes, and the high school guide is coming soon! Stay tuned to the blog for that and much more on IOAPA courses and other topics relevant to IOAPA teachers, parents, and students. Questions? Visit our website!
A (New) Visual Guide to High School IOAPA Courses Thursday, October 13, 2016 Although Iowa Online AP Academy has been offering Advanced Placement classes to high school students in Iowa since 2001, students and schools often wonder which students may best benefit from certain IOAPA classes. Check out our visual guide to AP classes based on data from the 2015-2016 school year! IOAPA 16-17 Blog Posts
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If you need more information on IOAPA, visit our website. For a visual guide to our middle school courses, check out this post.
Recognizing Stress and Helping Students Manage Thursday, October 20, 2016
Now that we’ve passed the halfway point of the semester, it’s likely that students are beginning to feel the pressure of upcoming assignments, projects and tests for their IOAPA courses or otherwise. Here are some tips for recognizing stress in your students (or yourself!) and ways to manage it. Recognizing Stress: Understood.org and EduGuide.org suggest looking out for • • • • • •
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Physical illness or pain with no medical explanation Over-the-top emotional reactions or increased aggression Decreased effort in school or on homework Changes in eating or sleeping habits Increased anxiety or panic attacks Unhealthy and dramatic behavior changes, including engaging in more risky behaviors (drinking, smoking)
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• Increased sadness, depression, or isolation from family or friends Managing Stress: Understood.org and the American Psychological Association recommend • Helping teens understand their own feelings by talking to them about what’s bothering them • Helping students break big projects down into manageable chunks if they are a source of stress • Celebrating small victories and achievements to help improve self-esteem • Finding appropriate ways for teens to blow off steam (exercise, engaging in favorite activities, etc.) • Being clear about your expectations to help reduce worries about letting you down It’s also important to consider whether your expectations are appropriate for your student • Creating a safe harbor by maintaining routines and rituals that can offer a sense of security • Modeling healthy behaviors to manage your own stress – actions speak louder than words! Other Resources: The University of Iowa Counseling Service (UCS) devoted an issue of their newsletter to stress and anxiety, and it is available here. UCS also has a list of stress management strategies on their website. You can also consult our previous blog post on this topic for more strategies and resources.
In Case You Missed It – Staying Motivated in IOAPA Courses Thursday, October 27, 2016 This post was previously published in September 2014. Enjoy! There is no getting around it—online AP TM courses can be difficult to complete. This can be especially true for students whose drive dwindles during the semester. With that in mind, how can IOAPA students boost their motivation? Create a realistic schedule Given that IOAPA students must structure study time more so than students who take classroom-based courses, it is crucial that they create realistic work schedules. A mistake commonly made by teenagers and adults alike is to assume tasks take a shorter time to complete than they actually do. Students should thus plan sufficient time for each course assignment. Furthermore, they must recognize when to say no to activities that will not fit into their schedules. Students who know their limits and create balanced work schedules are less likely to feel burnout and low motivation. Work efficiently and take breaks Learning to work efficiently allows students to set aside time for when they focus on assignments and in turn, time when they step away from work. In other words, students should reserve a specified amount of time in which time they will focus all energy on the task at hand. Some researchers suggest working in 90-minute intervals. Once the work period is over, they take a break. Incorporating fun and relaxing activities into each day
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allows for renewal. Check that perfectionism Some high-achieving students expect perfection and may be less than enthused to take courses in which they will not receive an A. This expectation is unrealistic—especially for demanding activities like AP TM courses—and may prevent students from engaging in rewarding yet challenging experiences. At the same time, high perfectionism can be unhealthy in that being overly self-critical decreases well-being and increases the risk for depression. That is not to say that striving for excellence is bad; in truth, this same desire is linked to positive outcomes like hope and school achievement. Some students (and adults!) may simply benefit from acknowledging that perfection is rarely necessary for a job well done. Review goals Regularly reviewing personal goals reminds students why they chose to take online AP TM courses. Students who keep their long-term goals in mind remember that they are not just studying for exams but rather are preparing themselves for college. Recalling goals may also allow students to reconnect with passion for course topics or the desire to prove to themselves that they can meet the challenge. Selected Resources Stoeber, J., & Rambow, A. (2007). Perfectionism in adolescent school students: Relations with motivation, achievement, and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(7), 1379-1389. Williams, K. C., & Williams, C. C. (2011). Five key ingredients for improving student motivation. Research in Higher Education Journal, 12, 1-23.
Helping Students Overcome Overcommitments Thursday, November 10, 2016
As this article from Galin Education states, “high school students are busy.” Especially as they consider college and job applications, students feel compelled to say “yes” to every request or opportunity that arises, because each challenging course, volunteer opportunity, or extracurricular activity seems to increase their future prospects. This can be especially true for gifted students, who often excel in multiple areas and may be 14
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encouraged to be involved in every group, club, and sport in addition to challenging coursework. However, when students spend every waking minute (and many minutes when they should be sleeping) working to complete all their obligations, it leaves little time to develop their own interests and passions or to relax and engage in leisure activities. Of course, enrolling in challenging coursework and participating in volunteer and extracurricular activities are worthy commitments. There is a line, though, where students go from being involved to being overcommitted. Teachers and parents can help students examine and evaluate their involvements and make changes as needed.
Suggestions for Overcoming Overcommitments: From the article linked above, this article from the American Psychological Association, and this article from Gifted Child Quarterly. • Encourage students to consider why they are involved in each activity. For example, are they involved merely to impress selection committees, friends, or parents, or are they driven by interest? Gifted students may be overwhelmingly involved, but they are interested in all of their activities. In this case, they might need someone to help them prioritize. • Help students examine their schedules: Over a typical day or week, what responsibilities are mandatory? How much time is left for other activities? • Teach students how to say “no” and mean it: Students may feel powerless to turn down involvement, and end up committing to something out of an inability to say “no”. This can be especially relevant for high-achieving students with a desire to help solve everyone’s problems. • Equip students with time management skills. Help them understand how much time to devote to their responsibilities, and how to schedule time for leisure and relaxation. Do you think your IOAPA students are overcommitted? How do you support them?
APTTI 2017 – Save the Date! Thursday, November 17, 2016 We are so excited to announce the dates for next year’s Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute! APTTI 2017 will take place on the University of Iowa campus June 27th-June 30th, 2017. Registration for the institute is coming soon. APTTI is a College Board-endorsed AP Summer Institute that provides teachers comprehensive preparation for developing and teaching an AP course. 2017 courses include AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics 1, and AP US History. For more information, visit our website ( belinblank.org/aptti) and check back to the blog for updates on registration and course availability. We hope to see you this summer!
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Computer Science Education Week! Thursday, December 01, 2016 Next week ( December 5-11, 2016) is Computer Science Education Week (CSEd Week)! One way to get involved is through Hour of Code. You may have heard of it through our presentation at ITAG, our Twitter, or some other means. Last year, 590,000 Iowans tried an hour of code (or more!), and this year Code Iowa is in its third year of a partnership with Code.org to generate more interest and participation in Iowa. Visit the Hour of Code website to learn more about how to teach an Hour of Code, how to promote your event, and to find activities to fill your Hour of Code and beyond! You can also register your event and find local volunteers who can inspire your students by visiting your classroom in-person or remotely. Share pictures of your event using #CodeIowa or @IowaSTEM (and share them with the Belin-Blank Center using @belinblank)! By participating in Hour of Code, your school and/or organization can become “Certified Code Iowa Partners” and gain access to free CS trainings in 2017. Find out more at www.iowastem.gov/CodeIowa. So you have a plan for your Hour of Code; how else can you participate in CSEd Week? • Advocate for computer science education in your school or district. Don’t forget, IOAPA offers CS courses for students in grades 6-12! • Check out the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s tips for getting girls involved in computer science. • Share the importance of CS education with parents, educators, administrators, and community partners. This article discusses reasons to teach kids tech skills. • Visit the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council website to learn more about Code Iowa and other STEM initiatives in Iowa. What are your plans for CSEd Week? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @kflanaryIOAPA
Accommodations for AP Exams Thursday, December 08, 2016 16
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If you have IOAPA students who receive accommodations at school through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan and are planning to take AP exams, now is the time to start thinking about requesting accommodations through the College Board. The deadline for submitting requests is February 17th, 2017, because the approval process could take up to 7 weeks. (Ugh.) Good news! The College Board is making this process a lot simpler beginning in January 2017, which means that many students with existing school-based testing accommodations will be automatically approved for AP exam (and other College Board test) accommodations this year. Check out their press release or this Education Week blog post for more information. The tests to which this applies include: all AP® exams, the PSAT™ 10 and PSAT/NMSQT®, and the SAT® and SAT Subject Tests™. In the future, the College Board is also planning to expand accommodations for English learners. This change also means that now is a great time to consider reevaluating students’ existing accommodations to ensure that they are still appropriate. To find out more about eligibility, requesting accommodations, and steps to take after approval, visit the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities website. According to their website, most students work with their school counselors to submit these requests, but now is the time to start discussing the process at your school so that everyone is prepared to submit requests after returning from winter break. Stay tuned for more on motivating students to take AP exams and preparing for exams. Are there other topics you’d like us to blog about? Let us know! Email us at kristinflanary@uiowa.edu and/or katherine-schabilion@uiowa.edu.
End of the Semester Celebrations Friday, December 16, 2016 We have made it to the end of another great IOAPA semester! Now is the time to rest, recover, and celebrate accomplishments. Whether your student is new to IOAPA this year, or has participated before, accepting the challenge of above-level coursework and putting forth the effort required to complete it is a huge achievement, and deserves to be recognized.
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These celebrations do not have to be large-scale. Something as simple as a note to the student or a message to parents about how hard their child has worked this semester can encourage students to continue seeking the challenge that IOAPA provides and working to achieve success. Note that while getting a high grade is valuable and important, many students benefit more from hearing specific praise about things within their control, like their behavior and effort, than from vague compliments about their grade or their “smarts.” Often, students taking IOAPA courses are experiencing work that is more challenging than anything else they have encountered. It’s important to talk with students about how they handled any challenges they faced, and how we can support them moving forward. Recognizing their accomplishments is one way to support students on their educational journey. Don’t forget to celebrate your own hard work, too! Our students couldn’t succeed without the support of the important adults in their lives. Thank you for providing that support!
IOAPA Spring Dates and Deadlines Thursday, January 19, 2017 Welcome back to another semester of IOAPA! As we all get settled back in for the semester, we wanted to share some important dates and deadlines relevant to IOAPA students and teachers. • January 27, 2017: Last day to drop IOAPA courses without a fee. • January 31, 2017: Last day to add online/distance learning courses (including IOAPA courses) to your school’s Course Audit. • February 17, 2017: Last day to submit disability documentation for students with disabilities seeking accommodations for AP Exams. See this recent post for more on that process. • Mid-Spring: Registration for AP Exam Review through IOAPA opens. See our website for more information on available courses and registration. • April 14, 2017: Last day to order AP Exams. • May 1-15, 2017: AP Exams occur. See the AP Exam Dates page for specific information about your courses. • May 6, 2017: IOAPA spring courses end. Stay tuned for more information about AP Exams, including study strategies and our AP Exam Reviews (available to all Iowa students taking AP courses).
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APTTI Registration Opening January 30 Thursday, January 26, 2017 While the snowflakes are flying in Iowa City, think warm thoughts and start making plans to attend this year’s AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI)! Registration opens Monday, January 30. The institute runs from June 27 th to 30 th on the University of Iowa campus. This year, we are offering workshops in AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & Composition, AP Physics 1, and AP US History. (If there’s a course you’d like to see us offer in the future, send the course name to Katie Schabilion at katherineschabilion@uiowa.edu and we’ll consider adding it in future years.) Who says teachers can’t have fun, too? Last year’s APTTI included social media giveaways, Twitter competition between science workshops, and a whole lot of learning. Who knows what might happen in 2017!
Financial assistance is available through IOAPA and through the College Board. College Board scholarship application materials must be submitted by February 15, so don’t wait too long! For more on funding opportunities, visit our website. To learn more about our workshops, instructors, and schedule, and to register for APTTI 2017, visit www.belinblank.org/aptti. We’d love to see you there!
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How Should I Study? Thursday, February 09, 2017 Everyone knows that studying is an important part of academic success. Not all study methods yield equal benefits, though. So, what study techniques should IOAPA students employ to get the most bang for their academic buck? This article from Scientific American Mind reviewed the literature, and we’ll sum it up here. The Top Two 1. Self-testing: Practice tests helped improve learning across subjects, and retention lasts longer than other study methods. It works even if the format of the practice test differs from the real one. 2. Distributed practice: In other words, don’t cram! Research suggests that spreading your study sessions out over time is more beneficial. Tell your IOAPA students — don’t put off your studying for finals or the AP Exam until days or weeks before. Avoid the tendency to procrastinate! What else works? Three other techniques were found to be useful, but less robust: elaborative interrogation, self-explanation, and interleaved practice. These methods may be less varied in their applications and/or less practical to employ, but still yield benefits for students. What doesn’t work? Five techniques under analysis were found to be of low overall utility: summarization, highlighting, keyword mnemonics, imagery use, and rereading. Research demonstrated that these methods were only effective for individuals with certain prerequisite skills, for certain content areas or task demands, or that they were generally ineffective. For example, summarizing can be useful for older students (undergraduates, mostly) or students who have been trained how to effectively summarize, but does not yield positive results for students who lack those skills. Highlighting/underlining, on the other hand, yielded few benefits beyond those of simply reading. The findings presented in this summary and in the article linked above come from the following study: Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., and Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58. Another discussion of this article was shared by one of the authors here.
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AP Exam Reviews Available Thursday, February 16, 2017 Attention: All Iowa high school students taking AP classes. Now Available: Online AP Exam Reviews for AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Statistics, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP U.S. History. How Do I Get It? IOAPA students enrolled in the courses listed above for the spring semester are automatically set up. Students in on-site AP classes can be signed up by their schools. (Students cannot register themselves for the exam reviews.) Information about registering can be found by visiting our website.
Best Practices for IOAPA Mentors Thursday, March 02, 2017 Mentors are a key component of the Iowa Online AP Academy model. These individuals may or may not have expertise in the content areas their students are studying, and in most of our courses, mentors are not expected to provide instruction on the course content. (The mentor’s role for AP Computer Science Principles is slightly different; future posts will address this, or you can contact IOAPA staff with questions.) Instead, IOAPA mentors provide support and encouragement for students, assist them in determining where and how to seek help, and monitor progress in course materials and intervene when necessary. What should I do to be an effective mentor? • Build positive relationships with students. According to the University of IOAPA 16-17 Blog Posts
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Minnesota’s mentoring model, checking in with students frequently can promote strong relationships. One study cited in a research synthesis found that “facilitators that are directly working with students day by day are key to the success of the program” and that the physical presence of mentors can motivate students to engage (cited in Borup & Drysdale, 2014). • Connect students with resources. Mentors are not expected to have all the answers for students’ questions, but helping them determine where to find support, or how to ask for help, can be beneficial. Check out our blog post on supporting struggling students for more info. This may include serving as a “communication link” between students and their course instructors (Borup & Drysdale, 2014). • Communicate with other mentors. Whether for emotional support or professional guidance, your fellow IOAPA mentors are a great resource for new and veteran mentors alike. Check out the IOAPA mentor support network information in the IOAPA Handbook. • Encourage healthy work habits. We all need occasional reminders to take breaks and prioritize, and IOAPA students are no exception. Mentors can help students set priorities, schedule time for relaxation, and promote stress management. The University Counseling Service at the University of Iowa developed a list of stress management strategies that may be useful.
Do you have suggestions for other IOAPA mentors? Share them with us in the comments or on Twitter using #IOAPA. Also, look out for our mentor survey at the end of the semester to share your thoughts!
Introducing And Increasing Computer Science Education In Schools Thursday, March 09, 2017 There are innumerable benefits to offering computer science instruction in K-12 schools. This policy statement from the Association for Computing Machinery makes a compelling case in favor of increasing CS opportunities for students. The question now concerns how to go about expanding those opportunities. Below are a few resources to aid in bringing CS education into schools. General Resources: LeadCS.org offers tools to answer questions facing district and school leaders who are working to expand CS in their schools and districts. Code.org contains a wealth of information regarding CS advocacy, methods of teaching CS, and opportunities for students to employ both in and out of school.
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Preparing Teachers: The Computer Science Teachers Association ( CSTA) provides community and professional development opportunities. Advanced Placement training for a CS course through an AP Summer Institute (like our Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute) is another way for teachers to gain skills and confidence in teaching computer science. Offering Courses: There are a wide variety of options for CS instruction that can be implemented by teachers with varying levels of CS content knowledge. One such option is our Iowa Online AP Academy. We offer a high-school level Introduction to CS course for middle school students, and both AP Computer Science courses for high school students through our partnership with Edhesive. Additionally, Code.org offers courses through their Code Studio, and they compiled a list of 3rd party resources offering courses and/or programs at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Check out the IOAPA website for more on our courses, and the APTTI website to find out how to join us this summer.
Reflections on First Semester of Computer Science with Edhesive Monday, March 27, 2017 We are excited to share a collection of data and advice based on student and teacher experiences with IOAPA’s Edhesive Computer Science courses in the Fall 2016 semester. Similar to previous semesters, we have compiled the information into an easyto-understand infographic format. This information will be especially useful for students and mentors considering the options for enrollment in IOAPA courses in 2017-2018 and beyond. See our middle school and high school infographics for guidance regarding our other courses.
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Support Materials for IOAPA Monday, April 10, 2017 IOAPA mentors, site coordinators, schools, and students often have questions about IOAPA’s policies and procedures, or are looking for guidance regarding student eligibility or course selection. We’ve compiled answers to many of these questions on the “ Support Materials” section of our website. Presented below is a sampling of the information you’ll find. • IOAPA Handbook: All policies related to IOAPA can be found in the handbook. In addition, the handbook offers information about supporting IOAPA students, seeking additional help, and a Student Readiness Checklist. This is essential information for new IOAPA mentors, and a useful reference for all mentors and site coordinators. • Middle School Questions: Answers to common questions about IOAPA for middle school can be found in our collection of blog posts, linked directly from this page. There is some especially useful information from previous mentors about how to solve logistical challenges, such as assigning credit. • Info Night Presentation: This resource can be used to share information about IOAPA with school personnel, parents, and students who might be interested in offering and/or enrolling in IOAPA courses. Now is a great time to consider hosting an Info Night, while parents and students have time to consider signing up for fall courses before the end of the school year. • Infographics: Also on this page, you’ll find infographics presenting course data and recommendations. These can be used to inform course selection for students. In some cases, such as the computer science course graphics, they also offer tips for mentors. To find this information, navigate to www.belinblank.org/ioapa and click on the Support Materials link. Still have IOAPA questions? Get in touch with us at ioapa@belinblank.org.
Is IOAPA Right for Me? Monday, April 17, 2017 With IOAPA registration opening this week, we wanted to offer some final considerations for students and mentors considering IOAPA courses. The sections below are broken down into considerations for students and considerations for mentors.
• Time: IOAPA courses require more time than typical grade-level courses, because the content is more advanced and students may need time to adjust to the online nature of the course. When considering enrolling in an IOAPA course, students should consider the other demands on their time, including other courses, extracurricular activities, sports, jobs, and anything else they might be involved in. It would be reasonable to expect to spend 5-10 hours per week on an IOAPA course. Will that be possible in your schedule? • Independence/Self-Motivation: IOAPA students must be capable of working independently and motivating themselves. Our classes are different from those typically offered in middle and high school, because instead of receiving whole-class instruction, IOAPA students independently access their course materials whenever 24
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they choose. This flexibility can be great for many students, but it requires selfmotivation to avoid procrastination. If you’re not sure whether you have sufficient skills in these areas, talk to your IOAPA mentor about what they might look like. • Eligibility – High School: High school IOAPA students must be able to handle the academic rigor of college-level courses. Each course in our Course Catalog offers suggested prerequisites and/or pre-tests, and these may be used to determine eligibility for individual students. • Eligibility – Middle School: IOAPA has more specific eligibility guidelines for middle school students. Students must participate in an above-level test ( I-Excel for 6th graders, ACT for 7th and 8th graders) and obtain a score at or above the 50th percentile. Additionally, it is very important that the student performs well on gradelevel standardized assessments (such as the Iowa Assessments), with scores at or above the 95th percentile in the course content area. Other considerations for eligibility include prior exposure to relevant coursework to provide sufficient background knowledge and skills, and scores well above average on any other standardized tests students may have taken, such as the CogAT or an IQ test.
• Time/Scheduling: As an IOAPA mentor, you will need dedicated time to meet with students, answer their questions, proctor exams, and support them in overcoming any challenges they face. Previous mentors have suggested that routine, face-toface meetings with students are extremely beneficial. Do you have time in your week to provide that support to students? • Student Relationships: Research on mentoring suggests that the relationship between the student and mentor is a key to success. Do you have existing positive relationships with the prospective IOAPA students? If not, do you think you will be able to develop positive relationships early in the year? • Content Knowledge: In most cases, mentors are not responsible for teaching course material or answering questions about course content. However, some understanding of basic content will be beneficial in answering students’ questions or providing them with resources. In our computer science courses, content knowledge is especially beneficial, and it is required for our AP Computer Science Principles course, which does require the mentor to provide instruction. • School Eligibility: This consideration is for both mentors and site coordinators. IOAPA requires that IOAPA courses are scheduled into the students’ regular school day, and that schools provide a designated time and space within the school building for students to work on their course(s). In addition, the school must provide lab space and equipment for science courses (if applicable), and the necessary technology and textbooks for all courses. The school must be an accredited school in the state of Iowa, the course must not be offered through the school district (or at the student’s grade level, in the case of middle school courses), and the school must not enroll more than 6 students per course. For more information relevant to site coordinators and mentors, please see our Site Coordinator and Mentor Handbook. Still not sure if IOAPA is right for you? Click around our website to get more information about the courses we offer, the supports we provide, and the requirements for enrolling. If you have additional questions, contact us at ioapa@belinblank.org.
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Join Us For APTTI 2017 Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Do you want to learn how to teach an AP class? Join us at the AP Teacher Training Institute this summer, June 27-30, 2017, on the University of Iowa campus. This 4-day institute provides comprehensive preparation for developing and teaching an AP course. We are offering 8 classes: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics 1, and AP US History. You can read letters from our instructors, check out the syllabi, and review the institute schedule on our website.
Iowa teachers are eligible for a grant from the Iowa Online AP Academy to attend APTTI at a reduced cost. Visit our Financial Assistance page for more information. For an additional fee, attendees can also earn academic credit and/or Iowa Licensure Renewal Units. Registration for these options is separate from APTTI registration. Further information is available here.
We had a lot of fun last summer, and we’re looking forward to another great institute! To join us, please visit our Registration page. If you have questions, contact us at aptti@belinblank.org. We can’t wait to see you this summer!
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2017 Iowa AP Index Monday, May 15, 2017 This time of year in Iowa signals the arrival of warmer weather, graduation, and the publication of the Iowa AP Index. Every year since 2005, the Belin-Blank Center has recognized Iowa high schools for providing Advanced Placement opportunities to Iowa students. The Iowa AP Index for a given high school is the ratio of AP exams taken by students (any grade) divided by the number of its graduating seniors. A high AP Index is an indication that a school has developed a culture that is supportive of student participation in AP courses and exams. For more on how the Index is calculated, visit the About the Index page. The 2017 statewide AP Index for all public schools in Iowa is .63, and reflects a .03-point increase in statewide AP participation compared to 2016. For the 9th consecutive year, George Washington High School in Cedar Rapids is the top-ranked school with an AP Index of 3.31. Rounding out the top 5 are John F. Kennedy High School (Cedar Rapids, 3.03), Valley Lutheran High School (Cedar Falls, 3.00), Roosevelt High School (Des Moines, 2.86), and West Senior High School (Iowa City, 2.42). Visit the AP Index website to learn more view the full list. Are you curious about how to increase AP participation in your school? Check out our previous post on developing an AP culture and check out the College Board’s resources to start and grow AP. IOAPA can help expand access to AP, especially for rural schools that cannot support in-person AP courses. Visit belinblank.org/ioapa to learn more.
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Summer Activities for IOAPA Students Friday, May 26, 2017 The end of the school year is upon us! Summer is a time for fun and relaxation, but some IOAPA students may also be searching for intellectually stimulating activities to occupy their free time. Here are some ideas: Participate in summer enrichment activities such as Blast (Iowa City, Ankeny, and Waukee; open to students through 6th grade), Summer of Learning (West Des Moines Community Schools; opportunities for all grades), or Summer Enriched & Accelerated Learning (Sioux City; open to high-ability students entering grades 1 through 9). Your school or Area Education Agency may have more ideas of local opportunities.
Engage in volunteer opportunities in your community. Volunteer work can strengthen college and job applications, and it has social and psychological benefits for both the volunteers and the people and communities they serve. Read for fun, read the news, read alone or with friends or family. Reading helps expand your vocabulary and build your analytical skills. The Iowa Reading Research Center offers resources for promoting literacy development and Hoagies Gifted Education Page offers reading lists for gifted students. Public libraries often offer summer reading programs for students of all ages.
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Learn something new like a skill you’ve always wanted to master. There are free online tutorials for almost anything, and it’s a great way to challenge your brain to operate in a different way. How do you plan to spend your summer? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @belinblankIOAPA!
Four Weeks Until APTTI 2017 Thursday, June 01, 2017 In four short weeks, we will be welcoming teachers to the University of Iowa campus for a week of AP training and fun. There is still time to register and join us!
All workshops remain open for registration. We are especially excited to offer an AP Computer Science A workshop to aid in local efforts to expand access to computer science instruction for all students. To see all the available workshops, learn about our consultants, and register, visit our website.
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If you teach in Iowa, you may be eligible for a grant to help defray the cost of attending. A limited number of grants are available, so check it out and apply today! Pre-service teachers currently studying at the University of Iowa are also eligible to attend APTTI at a reduced rate. Email aptti@belinblank.org for more information about these options.
Academic credit and Iowa Licensure Renewal Units are available. These can be applied to a gifted education endorsement, graduate degree, and/or licensure renewal, depending upon the credit option you pursue. Visit our Credit Opportunities page to learn more about the available options and find out how to sign up. We encourage you to complete some or all of the credit application and registration process before arriving on campus. Visit our website for details regarding who to contact with questions. We look forward to having you on campus this summer! Share your experiences on Twitter using #APTTI2017.
More Summer Opportunities For IOAPA Students and Mentors Thursday, June 08, 2017 We know our IOAPA students and mentors are always looking for ways to keep busy and to keep improving their skills. We wanted to offer a few more options of relevant opportunities and events through the Belin-Blank Center. IOAPA Students Junior Scholars Institute: One-week, residential summer program on the University of Iowa campus for students in grades 6 through 8. Several classes remain open for enrollment for this summer (June 18-23)! JSI is a self-nomination program open to all 30
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students regardless of participation in their school’s talented and gifted program. Students select one advanced level course to take for the week. This year’s course topics include mixed media art, Wonder Woman, engineering, and Robot Theater, among others. Visit the JSI website for more information.
National Scholars Institute: One-week, residential summer program on the University of Iowa campus for students in grades 9 through 11. Much like JSI, NSI is a self-nomination program, so all interested students in grades 9-11 are encouraged to apply! Enrollment is still open for several courses. This summer’s course topics include 3D design and printing, engineering, visual arts, and data science. There are two NSI sessions, and students select one advanced level course per session. Students may choose to participate in one or both sessions. NSI Session 1 occurs July 9-14, 2017, and Session 2 runs July 16-21, 2017. Visit the NSI website for more information. To see all the Belin-Blank Center summer opportunities for students, visit belinblank.org/summer.
IOAPA Mentors AP Teacher Training Institute: One-week program for teachers seeking certification to teach an AP course at their school. This is an especially great opportunity for schools that have offered IOAPA courses in the past, but now wish to expand their on-campus AP offerings. Enrollment is still open for most of our courses, including AP Computer Science, AP English Language and Composition, and AP Physics. To learn more, see last week’s blog post or visit belinblank.org/aptti.
Professional Development: The Belin-Blank Center offers extensive professional development opportunities for teachers in gifted education, with both in-person and online coursework options throughout the summer and during the academic year. IOAPA mentors may be interested in looking into the Chautauqua series, which includes 6 separate workshops over two weeks (June 19 – June 24 and June 26 – July 1, 2017). Additional information about PD opportunities and coursework can be found at belinblank.org/educators.
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New for 2017-2018: Environmental Science Classes Thursday, June 15, 2017 We are thrilled to present IOAPA’s newest offerings, available now for Fall 2017 registration: AP Environmental Science for high school students and Environmental Science for middle schoolers. High school students can register for AP Environmental Science to learn about the natural world, identify environmental problems, and examine solutions for resolving and preventing them ( College Board). Suggested prerequisites include two years of lab science courses (one year each of life science and physical science) and one year of algebra. This is a two-semester, lab science course, and required materials can be found here. Learn more about this course from Apex Learning. Students in 6th through 8th grade can enroll in Environmental Science to explore the biosphere, the environment in which organisms live on Earth. This is a two-semester course, and there are no recommended prerequisites. This course includes a lab component, and students and mentors can choose to complete “dry” labs, which do not require additional materials, or “hands-on” labs, which require materials listed here. For more information and to see all of our course offerings, visit belinblank.org/ioapa.
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