ANNUAL STATUS OF IOWA ONLINE AP ACADEMY AUGUST 2018
Prepared by
Kristin Flanary, M.A., Communications Administrator, IOAPA Co-Administrator
Ann Shoplik, Ph.D., Acceleration Institute and Research Administrator, IOAPA Co-Administrator Brian Douglas, M.B.A., Assistant Director for Finance, Operations, and Technology with
Susan Assouline, Ph.D., Belin-Blank Center Director
Overview of IOAPA 2001-2018 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 2001-2018 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 2017-2018 school participation in IOAPA ............................................................................................................. 10 Online AP exam review ................................................................................................................................................. 13 Professional development............................................................................................................................................ 13
Support for IOAPA Schools .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Summary of 2017– 2018 ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 On the Horizon ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Collaboration with Iowa STEM Excellence and Leadership (SEAL) ............................................................ 16
Collaboration with Educators Nurturing Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE) ...... 16 Collaboration with Belin-Blank Exceptional Students Talent Search (BESTS) ....................................... 16
Research/Evaluation program ................................................................................................................................... 17
Selected Resources .................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix A: AP Participation vs. Dual Enrollment ...................................................................................................... 19
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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 page 11 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 and Cara Wienkes, the Iowa Online AP Academy’s graduate assistants, and Emily Ladendorf, Belin-Blank 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 2017 (most recent data available), more than 2.7 million students across the country took almost 5 million AP Exams in 38 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 fewer. 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 schools throughout Iowa. IOAPA has a special focus on serving rural and small 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 an overall 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 – 2017 (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
IA students taking AP exams
2001
435
163,970
156
5,995
4,069
2007
468
164, 541
231
10, 776
7, 127
2016
397
154,825
213
21,081
13,267
2017
405
156,363
210
20,372
12,981
(Continued on next page)
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Figure 1. Growth of AP participation in Iowa from 2001 – 2017 (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 – 2017 (most recent data available) 170,000 165,000 160,000 155,000 150,000 145,000
However, Table 1 also shows that growth in recent years has slowed – and even declined – compared to earlier years. For example, despite the number of Iowa high schools and high school enrollments both increasing from 2016 to 2017, Iowa AP exam participation decreased.
Iowa Student Performance on the AP Exam
Iowa student performance on the AP exam has improved during the last decade. In 2007, 11.4% of seniors earned a score of 3 or better on at least one AP exam that year. Ten years later, 13.5% of 2017 seniors (most recent data available), earned a score of 3 or better on at least one 2017 AP exam. In fact, more 2017 Iowa seniors earned a “passing” score of 3 or better on at least one 2017 AP exam (5,223 seniors), than the total number of Iowa seniors even taking an AP exam ten years before (3,001 students in 2007). 6
Figure 3 shows 2017 AP exam participation and performance for the state of Iowa. This figure reveals that Iowa’s AP participation is low (Figure 3A), but when students in Iowa do participate in AP testing, they do well (Figure 3B and 3C). In 2017, only 8.3% of Iowa’s high school students took AP exams (12,981 exam takers out of 156,363 total high school students). These students earned scores of 3 or better on 62.5% of their AP exams (compared to 62.1% nationally), and their mean score as a group was 2.98 (compared to 3.12 nationally). 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 from 70.2% in 2007 to 62.5% in 2017. This decline in Iowa occurred while the national percentage of exams scored 3 or higher has stayed relatively stable, and even slightly increased, from 59.3% in 2007 to 62.1% in 2017. Moreover, in 2017, 222 out of every 1000 students in Iowa took AP exams, compared with 554 out of every 1000 students nationwide (College Board, 2017). Figure 3. AP exam participation and performance for Iowa students 2017 (most recent data available) A) Iowa Students Taking AP Exams
B) Iowa AP Exams Scored 3+
8.3% 62.5%
% 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 2007 80 75
Percent
70 65 60 55 50
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Iowa
2012
2013
USA
2014
2015
2016
2017
Iowa’s participation in AP has increased over the past decade, although it remains relatively low. The 7
recent slowed growth and decreased level of AP participation compared to the rest of the nation indicate that there is still work to be done. One possibility for Iowa’s low participation rate may be a financial barrier introduced by the cost of taking an AP exam ($94 per exam). Appendix A, “AP Participation vs. Dual Enrollment,” provides additional information about a second possibility. 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 2017-18, IOAPA delivered AP and AP-preparatory courses using digital curriculum from Apex Learning and Edhesive. • •
14,189 semester online course enrollments have been completed by Iowa students, through IOAPA, since its inception in 2001. In the 2017-2018 academic year:
o 18 two-semester (11 high school, 7 middle school) and 8 one-semester (4 high school, 4 middle school) online courses were offered through IOAPA. Eighteen courses offered (69%) 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, AP Environmental Science*, 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, Environmental Science*, Geometry*, Introduction to Computer Science*, Physical Science (Honors)*, Probability and Statistics*, Psychology*, Spanish I (Honors), and U.S. History to the Civil War (Honors). 8
o 612 Iowa students (166 middle school, 446 high school), from 113 Iowa school districts (106 public, 7 nonpublic) enrolled in 927 IOAPA semester enrollments. Total enrollment has increased since last year; a breakdown of enrollment growth is depicted in Figure 4. The content area breakdown for 927 active and complete semester enrollments is depicted in Figure 5 (below). 1
Figure 4. IOAPA enrollment change from 2016-17 to 2017-18
846
387 183
570
446
927
612
166
Middle School Students
High School Students
2016-17
1
Total Students 2017-18
Total Semester Enrollments (Continued on next page)
Each semester, we offer students a 14-day grace period during which to sample the course(s). Those who choose to pursue the course after this grace period are considered to be enrolled. 9
Figure 5. 2017-2018 IOAPA enrollment by discipline
World Languages , 24, 3% Computer Science, 135, 15%
Social Science, 286, 31%
Math , 107, 11% Science, 90, 10% History , 104, 11%
English , 181, 19%
o The course completion rate was an impressive 94.2%. (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 91.1% in Fall 2017 and 87.2% in Spring 2018. (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 middle school students (87.8% in Fall 2017 and 80.3% in Spring 2018). High school students were consistently successful during 2017-2018, with passing rates of 92.5% in Fall 2017 and 90.5% in Spring 2017.
2017-2018 school participation in IOAPA •
•
In 2017-2018, 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 slightly (24 schools last year).
Figure 6 (p. 11) 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. 10
Figure 6. 2017-2018 number of IOAPA students and IOAPA registered schools by county (A)
(B)
IOAPA has a special focus on serving rural and small schools so that Iowa geography does not determine educational opportunity. Figure 7 shows that the majority of IOAPA-registered schools were located in rural communities, as designated by NCES locale codes. 11
Figure 7. Number of 2017-18 School Participation in IOAPA by NCES Locale
Rural
Town
Suburb
City
Table 2 (below) 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 IOAPAregistered 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, in 2017-18, our middle school courses were utilized more by mid-sized schools, while our high school courses were utilized more by the larger schools. These patterns fluctuate from year to year, and the goal remains to be as supportive and inclusive as possible, while still focusing on small and/or rural schools. Table 2. Percentage of 2017-18 School Participation in IOAPA by K – 12 Size Category
(A)
Percent of Total Public Iowa School District Percent of Total IOAPA Schools
(B)
< 300
300-599
600-999
1,000-2,499
2,500-7,499
7,500+
25.2
10.8
27.0
26.4
6.9
3.6
4.2
16.7
21.0
40.0
14.6
4.2
< 300
300-599
600-999 12
1,000-2,499
2,500-7,499
7,500+
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
0.0
18.5
22.2
37.0
14.8
7.4
3.4
15.1
19.8
40.0
15.1
7.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.1
0.0
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 •
•
•
•
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 2017-2018 school year: Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, U.S. Government & Politics, and U.S. History.
In the 2017-2018 school year, there were 498 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 (i.e., courses) in which students participated was 581. Participation in AP Exam Review by content area for 2017-2018: o English: 73 (12.6%) o Math: 38 (6.5%) o Science: 49 (8.4%) o Social Science: 289 (71.8%) o World Languages: 8 (1.4%)
Professional development •
• •
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, 880 IOAPA grants have been distributed for Iowa teachers to attend AP teacher training (APTTI), including 26 grants in June 2018. Since 2001, 2,677 teachers have participated in APTTI, including the 90 teachers who attended APTTI in 2018. All 2018 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 BelinBlank Center: 13
•
o 9 teachers enrolled in a 2-credit-hour course focusing on teacher training for Advanced Placement courses. o 9 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, 22 Iowa teachers each earned two Iowa Licensure Renewal Units at APTTI.
Support for IOAPA Schools •
•
•
•
•
Through Apex Learning, we added AP Environmental Science (grades 9-12) and Environmental Science (grades 6-8) to our course catalog, beginning in Fall 2018.
We collected and evaluated program data regarding 2016-17 student enrollment and performance in all IOAPA courses. These data were incorporated into two infographics (middle school, high school), which break down large amounts of complex information into a visual and easy-to-understand format. These infographics are included at the end of this report. We distributed these infographics during our 2017-18 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 2017-18 academic year, made available in time for the 2018-19 registration periods.
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 3,297 followers (2,992 blog followers, 305 Twitter followers). A collection of 2017-2018 IOAPA blog posts is included at the end of this document. These posts included a series for educators about how and why to incorporate abovelevel testing into the IOAPA student selection process.
We combined IOAPA mentor feedback with information we received from the Computer Science course vendor, Edhesive, to implement separate 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 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 follows typical online registration procedures.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015) predicts that computer and mathematical occupations will grow at a rate of 13.1% between 2014 and 2024, with software developers growing by 33.8%. These jobs will also pay well, with computer and information research scientists expected to earn an annual salary of $108,360. Despite this predicted growth, only 15% of Iowa schools teach an AP Computer Science course. Although Iowa has established K-12 computer science standards and funding for computer science professional development and course support, the state of Iowa has yet to articulate a plan that includes goals, strategies, and timelines for implementing computer science into the education system (https://code.org/promote/ia). To help fill this gap, IOAPA partners with online course vendor Edhesive, to offer three computer science courses: Introduction to Computer Science (grades 6-9), AP Computer Science A (grades 14
•
•
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 created 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.
IOAPA uses 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.
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. The website includes information for schools on how to get started with IOAPA, a Course Catalog, and helpful information in a 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 distribute 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.
SUMMARY OF 2017– 2018 The Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) provides and/or promotes 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 2017 (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 2007.
Iowa students who take AP exams have performed as well or better than the national average over most of the last ten years. 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, but there is still work to be done. 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. 15
ON THE HORIZON 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. SEAL provides extracurricular math and science programs for high-potential middle-school students from predominately rural, lowincome school districts and 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 (beginning 2018-19), and to plan a longterm research project examining the factors that influence such students’ participation, retention, and success in advanced coursework.
Collaboration with Educators Nurturing Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE)
A new Belin-Blank Center research project, funded by the Jacob K. Javits Federal program, Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE) project, partners with Iowa middle schools to identify and serve talented underrepresented students. Students at TICE partner schools will receive financial and technical support to test high-ability 6th graders and offer a career intervention program during 7th grade. IOAPA will also contribute to this project, broadening the courses available to these students by offering online coursework in the schools.
Collaboration with Belin-Blank Exceptional Students Talent Search (BESTS)
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), offers in-school, above-level testing for Iowa students in grades 4-6. BESTS uses I-Excel, an online, above-level test for 4th-6th-grade students developed by the BelinBlank 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. Schools and parents can use the information provided by these tests to determine readiness for advanced learning opportunities in middle school, thus paving the way to AP participation in high school.
Traditionally, the Belin-Blank center provided in-school, above-level testing for Iowa 5th- and/or 6th-graders at no cost. However, due to changes in the University of Iowa’s budget, the BelinBlank Center is no longer able to provide these testing opportunities free of charge. The good news is, we are still able to offer a significant discount to students in the state of Iowa. For the 2018-2019 school year, the standard fee for students throughout the nation is $45 per student for 16
group testing. For Iowa students, the fee is discounted substantially to $22. This cost may be covered by the schools, parents, or a combination of the two.
Although IOAPA’s 2018-19 budget prohibits us from covering the costs of above-level testing, we will continue to promote the link between above-level testing and advanced coursework, provide information, and support schools in making placement decisions based on above-level test scores.
Research/Evaluation program
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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SELECTED RESOURCES Code.org. (n.d.) Promote computer science - Iowa. https://code.org/promote/ia Accessed on: July 23, 2018.
College Board. (2017). AP program participation and performance data 2017. Retrieved from: https://research.collegeboard.org/programs/ap/data/participation/ap-2017. Accessed on: July 23, 2018. College Board. (2017). National totals: School AP score distributions by total and ethnic group. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/national-summary-2017.xlsx Accessed on: July 23, 2018. College Board. (2017). Iowa totals: School AP score distributions by total and ethnic group. https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/misc/ap/iowa-summary-2017.xlsx Accessed on: July 23, 2018.
College Board. (2017). Program summary report. https://securemedia.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/research/2017/Program-Summary-Report-2017.xls Accessed on: July 23, 2018. Iowa Department of Education. (2017). The Annual Condition of Education Report. https://educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/2017ConditionOfEducation_2.pdf Accessed on: July 23, 2018. 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 (2015). Occupational employment projections to 2024. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/occupational-employment-projections-to2024.htm Accessed on: July 20, 2018.
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 8A reports Iowa student enrollment in these programs; Figure 8B reports the type of institutions through which students choose to enroll in PSEO courses. Figure 8 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 8. Iowa high school student enrollment in college credit programs
(A) Student enrollment by program type 2001-2017 (most recent data available) 50000 45000
Student Enrollment by Program Type
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 2017 Annual IA Student AP program enrollment Concurrent enrollment students enrolled
PSEO Course Enrollment at Comm. Colleges (9-12 graders)
(continued on next page)
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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
2018 Budget reversion of $11,556, adjusting the FY18 budget to $470,293 Funding through the state of Iowa through 2019 ($470,293 dedicated to IOAPA)
SOURCES https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/advanced/index.html
Iowa Code 261E.1 Iowa Code 261E.4
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Iowa Online AP Academy
APTTI 2017 Recap Monday, July 17, 2017 We had such a great week of AP training at the end of June!
More than 100 teachers participated in 8 AP workshops in science, technology, math, language arts, and history. They are now certified by the College Board to teach those courses in their schools!
They also got to take home some AP materials to get them started in their courses!
Interested in becoming an AP teacher? Keep an eye on our website ( belinblank.org/aptti) and the blog for details on next year’s APTTI. If you’re curious about other ways to offer AP courses to your students, visit belinblank.org/ioapa.
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Top Five Reasons to Consider AP Thursday, July 20, 2017 As we begin to approach the start of a new school year, some students may still be deciding whether an AP course is right for them. Here are some reasons to consider AP courses. 5. Experience college-level work while still in high school. AP students learn what it takes to be successful in college. Taking AP courses can help students develop the time management & study skills, as well as the confidence in their abilities, that will facilitate success once they reach college. 4. Strengthen college applications. A College Board study found that many colleges and universities look favorably on students with AP experience. Because AP courses are audited and approved by the College Board, post-secondary institutions are familiar with the level of rigor and can assess how the knowledge and skills emphasized in the AP course compare to their own course offerings. 3. Earn college credit. Many colleges and universities provide college credits for earning a qualifying score on AP Exams. Search for specific schools’ credit policies at https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies. 2. Skip the “101”s. In addition to earning credits for AP, students who achieve high AP Exam scores in high school often find themselves placed into higher level coursework once they reach college. This means that while their peers are sitting through Math 101, AP students can use the time to take higher level courses or electives. 1. It’s a challenge! AP courses go beyond the basics, giving students access to greater breadth and depth of content while moving through material at a faster pace. This can be the perfect fit for students who need more than a general education class can provide.
If you or your students want more information about AP, check out https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap! For more on our IOAPA courses, visit www.belinblank.org/ioapa.
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2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
What Makes An Ideal IOAPA Mentor? Monday, July 31, 2017 Mentors are an essential component of the IOAPA model, playing a significant role in the success of their students. Anyone can be an effective mentor, but there are a few characteristics and actions that stand out as especially important for enhancing student success. • Being available: It can be incredibly difficult to manage student and teacher schedules to allow for daily face-to-face meetings between students and mentors. IOAPA policy requires that courses be scheduled into students’ regular school day, but we recognize that a mentor may not be available 100% of the time that students are working on their courses. By making an effort to be available to students through email, frequent planned check-ins, and any other way deemed appropriate for students’ needs, mentors can help students overcome challenges as they arise while still allowing students to be independent. • Building positive relationships with students: Regardless of how easily accessible mentors are, students must be willing to reach out and ask for help from them in order for mentoring to be successful. Students who experience positive relationships with their mentor, especially early in the school year, will be more likely to seek help when needed, and the support and encouragement provided by the mentor will be more positively received. • Seeking support: Just as IOAPA students require support to succeed in their courses, IOAPA mentors can benefit from support at times – be it emotional support, logistical help, or content assistance. The mentor support network (more information available in the IOAPA Handbook) can be a source for all areas; more experienced mentors can provide suggestions for overcoming challenges, or empathize regarding difficult situations. Other sources of support include staff in your building(s), course instructors, the IOAPA website, and the support forums available through Edhesive for computer science courses. • Encouraging positive and healthy work habits: For many bright students, participation in IOAPA may be one of the first times they are experiencing challenging academic coursework. Mentors can help students develop coping strategies for dealing with frustration, perfectionism, and other issues that arise. Mentors can also model healthy habits, including taking breaks and engaging in selfcare. These non-academic supports will be equally, if not more, necessary than content help for IOAPA students’ success. For more on the policies and requirements for offering IOAPA courses, visit www.belinblank.org/ioapa. If you have specific questions, email ioapa@belinblank.org.
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I Signed Up For IOAPA – Now What? Tuesday, August 08, 2017 It’s almost back-to-school time again, and many teachers and students are beginning to prepare for the upcoming year. Whether you registered for IOAPA courses before you left for summer break, or plan to do so before August 17th, you might be wondering about next steps for getting started with IOAPA. Here are a few things to expect or consider.
Important Dates • If you have not already completed the registration process, be sure to do so by August 17th so that you can get into the course(s) you want. • Look for course vendor access information to arrive in your email inbox sometime during the week of August 21st. Be sure to keep an eye on your “junk” or “spam” folder, too, because sometimes they accidentally get sorted there. • Classes officially begin on August 28th. If you don’t have login information yet, don’t panic – the first week of class is something of an orientation period, and students can easily catch up if they need to. • Keep an eye out for an email from IOAPA at the beginning of the semester with pertinent details for the upcoming year. You may need to add ioapa@belinblank.org to your whitelisted email addresses to ensure that you receive correspondence from IOAPA throughout the year. • The last day to drop a course without a fee is September 15th. For more information about our drop policies, check out the IOAPA handbook on our website.
Other Considerations • Remember to obtain textbooks for your courses if needed. Recommended books for Apex courses can be found by clicking “Learn more” on the relevant course(s) from the IOAPA course catalog. Edhesive courses do not require textbooks. • Familiarize yourself with the course vendor’s system once you get your login 6
2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
information. For mentors, it will be useful to know how to view student progress, access answer keys, and proctor exams. Students will need to know how to access their course materials, submit assignments, and communicate with course instructors. Both vendors offer support guides and videos on the course websites. Additional support is available from Apex at support.apexlearning.com and from Edhesive at edhesive.com/coach. • For mentors and students in computer science courses, keep an eye on our blog for a “Using Edhesive” blog series over the coming weeks. As always, visit our website for information about courses, support materials, and more. If you have additional questions, email ioapa@belinblank.org. Have a great start to the semester!
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Visual Guide to IOAPA High School Courses Thursday, August 10, 2017 We are excited to share the new IOAPA High School Course infographic using data and feedback from 2016-2017 IOAPA students and mentors! This, along with our middle school infographic and other useful information, can be found on our website, on the Support Materials page. Use this information to guide registration decisions for fall (before August 17th) and spring (opening November 1).
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2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
Visual Guide to IOAPA Middle School Courses Thursday, August 10, 2017 We are excited to share the new IOAPA Middle School Course infographic using data and feedback from 2016-2017 IOAPA students and mentors! This, along with our high school infographic and other useful information, can be found on our website, on the Support Materials page. Use this information to guide registration decisions for fall (before August 17th) and spring (opening November 1).
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Important Dates and Deadlines Wednesday, August 23, 2017 We know there are a lot of dates and deadlines related to IOAPA and AP courses. Keep this post handy as a convenient reminder of the most important dates for the 2017-2018 school year. • September 15, 2017: Last day to drop IOAPA courses without being assessed a $350 drop fee. (Note: Per the IOAPA drop policy, these fees are waived for students in middle school and computer science courses.) • October 1, 2017: Preferred date by which AP Computer Science Principles teachers should submit AP Course Audit materials to ensure access to the Digital Portfolio. Visit the College Board website for more information on the AP Course Audit as it applies to AP Computer Science Principles. • October 15, 2017: Preferred date by which AP Course Audit materials should be submitted for previously authorized courses to be renewed for the 2017-2018 school year. • November 1, 2017: IOAPA spring registration opens. Mark this date in bright red, as we expect spring enrollment to fill quickly! • December 15, 2017: IOAPA fall classes end. • January 8, 2018: IOAPA spring courses begin. • January 26, 2018: Last day to drop IOAPA spring high school courses without being assessed a $350 drop fee. • January 31, 2018: Deadline for submission of AP Course Audit materials for new courses (i.e., courses that have not been offered by your school prior to 2017-2018). • February 23, 2018: Deadline for submitting testing accommodations requests for students with disabilities who plan to take AP Exams. See our post about the changes to this process that took effect in January 2017. • March 30, 2018: Priority deadline to order 2018 AP Exams. • April 30, 2018: Deadline for submitting Performance Tasks for AP Computer Science Principles students. • May 7-18, 2018: AP Exams are administered. A complete schedule of exam dates is available on the College Board website. Important College Board deadlines can be found on the AP Central website, and important IOAPA dates can be found on our website. Follow IOAPA on Twitter @belinblankIOAPA for reminders about deadlines, as well as other useful information to support mentors and students.
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2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
I’m Ready to Set Up I-Excel Testing for This Year: Where Do I Start? Thursday, August 24, 2017 Maybe the first place for educators to start is with thinking about the “Why” of testing. IExcel (and other above-level tests such as the ACT) provide a way of discovering highability students who need additional challenges. Above-level tests provide important information and help us make decisions about the types of programming our talented students need. In a previous blog, we talked about how above-level testing works. Our focus here is on the steps educators can take to set up testing and what happens next. The purpose is to discover high-performing students and match the curriculum and programming to their needs. Students who perform well on grade-level tests (such as the Iowa Assessments) are good candidates to begin this process. Educators may take the following steps: 1. Identify 4th-6th graders scoring at the 95th percentile or above on at least one section of the Iowa Assessments. 2. Contact the Belin-Blank Center to set up a testing date. 3. Invite them to participate in above-level testing using I-Excel. 4. Administer I-Excel during a school day or on the weekend (depending on what works best for your situation). 5. Receive detailed interpretation from the Belin-Blank Center. The Aggregate Report compiles information from your group of students to help you make decisions about placement changes and adjustments to the curriculum. The Individual Report (which can be shared with parents) provides detailed information about students’ strengths in math, science, English and reading and helps you make data-driven decisions about individual students’ academic needs. 6. Make decisions about the students’ educational placement and curriculum. Some students’ test data will inform you that they are in need of academic enrichment, while other students’ data will indicate their readiness for more accelerated work. What happens to the students as a result of this information? Your school district may already have a variety of opportunities for these students (enrichment programs, accelerated courses, honors courses, etc.). I-Excel might be used to help educators make decisions about which students would benefit from an accelerative math program or a literature-based enrichment program that is already in place or is being developed. Iowa educators might consider the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA), which provides online courses during the school day. What makes the IOAPA courses so successful (a 95% completion rate!) is the partnership between the Belin-Blank Center and the local school. IOAPA provides access to the curriculum and the school provides a local mentor who monitors and encourages the student. The outcome of participation in I-Excel testing? Students and parents who are better informed about students’ academic strengths, and educators who confidently provide curriculum tailored to those strengths. Making data-based, objective decisions results in
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students who are consistently challenged in school. If you’re ready to get started, email assessment@belinblank.org.
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2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
Using Edhesive – Overview Wednesday, August 30, 2017 During the inaugural year of IOAPA’s partnership with Edhesive, we extended access to Computer Science courses to more than 100 students across Iowa. We will continue to expand computer science education across the state, and continue to work to maximize student and mentor success. This “Using Edhesive” blog series will highlight Edhesive features that we feel are especially important for IOAPA students and mentors. Whether you’re brand new to Edhesive, or already have a year under your belt, this information will be useful for all IOAPA Computer Science mentors and their students. Edhesive and IOAPA share a fundamental belief: That online learning works best when students are supported by local teachers. You know these individuals as “mentors,” but in Edhesive materials you may see the term “coach.” Both terms refer to the same person: the onsite teacher responsible for supporting IOAPA students. IOAPA “Mentor” = Edhesive “Coach” Edhesive provides a number of professional development and other resources to support coaches. Online PD is available for Introduction to Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles. In addition, an extensive Help section (accessed from your course dashboard) provides articles and videos about the course curriculum, setting up your online “classroom”, and using Edhesive features. One such feature, the teacher and student forums, will be addressed in a future blog post in this series. The Help information is specific to each course, so it can help guide your planning and your Edhesive experience.
Each Edhesive course also includes extensive resources for supporting students, including pacing guides and teacher packets with lesson plans and supplemental worksheets relevant to the course content. It is important for mentors to view these teacher packets, as students do not have access to them unless provided by their mentor. Note: Several IOAPA mentors mentioned using these materials for additional practice prior to quizzes or exams, especially in the AP courses. Additionally, mentors suggested using online exams for students to practice, as they can be repeated, and then using the provided offline exams for the students’ grades. This does require some additional figuring of the students’ grades at the end of the semester, but some mentors felt this was beneficial for students. To keep up with Edhesive on social media, follow @TeamEdhesive on Twitter. You can 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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also follow IOAPA on Twitter using @belinblankIOAPA. With specific questions about IOAPA or Edhesive, email us at ioapa@belinblank.org. Finally, stay tuned to the blog for more tips on using Edhesive!
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2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
Using Edhesive – The Forums Wednesday, September 06, 2017 During the inaugural year of IOAPA’s partnership with Edhesive, we extended access to Computer Science courses to more than 100 students across Iowa. We will continue to expand computer science education across the state, and continue to work to maximize student and mentor success. This “Using Edhesive” blog series will highlight Edhesive features that we feel are especially important for IOAPA students and mentors. Whether you’re brand new to Edhesive, or already have a year under your belt, this information will be useful for all IOAPA Computer Science mentors and their students. One of the most common questions we get about Edhesive is: “How do I get content questions answered?” Unlike our Apex courses, where each course is assigned a specific instructor, Edhesive courses are developed by a team of instructors and facilitated by the on-site mentors. Therefore, there is no assigned instructor for the Edhesive courses. However, Edhesive offers online forums for teachers and students to ask and answer questions about course access, content, and logistics. The forums are course specific, so you will be connected to teachers or students across the country participating in your computer science course, whether it’s AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, or Introduction to Computer Science. Additionally, the student and teacher forums are separate; IOAPA mentors have access to both forums, while students can only access the Student Forum.
The forums are monitored seven days a week by Edhesive staff and teaching assistants who can provide support for both content and technical issues. Before we offer some tips for making the most of these forums, watch this short video to learn the basics of navigating and using it: Using the Edhesive Teacher Forum. As promised, here are some tips for using the forum, based on Edhesive instructor input and IOAPA mentor feedback. Ask questions! Just as you would email a question to an Apex instructor, you can post your question on the forum to get answers from Edhesive instructors (and other mentors/AP teachers). Plus, other teachers can benefit from the answer to your question, too! I know what you’re thinking: “What if my question is silly, or has a very simple solution? Everyone else on the forum will judge me.” Well, as I’m sure you have told your students over and over, there are no stupid questions. Our IOAPA mentors, just like our 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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IOAPA students, are resourceful and independent; however, your time is valuable and it’s not realistic to expect to be able to solve every problem that arises without help. Posting a question on the forum is guaranteed to receive an answer, often within a couple of hours at most. Ask anonymously or individually. If you’re still not sure about posting on the forum, there are a couple of options. If you don’t want your name attached to your question, you can post anonymously. The question would still be posted to the entire forum, it just would not include your name. If you have specific questions about your course or your students, Edhesive staff may ask you to follow up via email to get more details, but this can be a good way to get those “silly” questions addressed without any fear of judgment. You can also post your question to the instructors only, so it functions basically like an email to an instructor would. If there is a particular instructor with whom you wish to correspond, you can send it to them only, or you could send it to the whole Edhesive support team. Keep up with the pinned messages. Edhesive staff will periodically “pin” answers to frequently asked questions to the top of the discussion list so they’re easy to find. If you have a question about how to access teacher materials or how to unlock tests or assignments, check the pinned messages – the answer is probably available there. As always, please feel free to contact us by email at ioapa@belinblank.org — but for content questions, we’ll probably refer you to the forums. Also see last week’s post about general Edhesive resources. Keep up with IOAPA and Edhesive on Twitter: @TeamEdhesive and @belinblankIOAPA.
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Non-Academic Supports for IOAPA Students Thursday, September 14, 2017 By this point in the semester, IOAPA students are likely familiar with the expectations of their above-level courses. Students may be feeling a little overwhelmed by a level of challenge they may never have experienced before. They may start to question their abilities, or they may be hesitant to submit projects or assignments until they’re sure there are no mistakes. These can be difficult issues to help students overcome, and it is hard to know how to best support students with these emotional struggles. Many experts have written on these topics, and below are some blog posts and resources to share or discuss with IOAPA students who are in need of non-academic supports. For students who are expressing hesitation about continuing their coursework because it is challenging, this blog post from Byrdseed could spark a conversation about the benefits of challenge for our brains, just like for our muscles.
“Imposter syndrome” is a common challenge for bright students, especially when they’re being exposed to a new level of challenge for the first time. In fact, it’s so common that Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page has a whole section of blogs and books about the phenomenon. (I would especially recommend this article and this blog post.) Helping students learn to challenge these thoughts now will benefit them throughout their education and careers. An additional challenge that arises among gifted students is perfectionism. The National Association for Gifted Children published this article that includes a distinction between healthy and unhealthy manifestations of perfectionism, as well as some tips for parents and teachers to help students manage it.
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Growth mindset resources can also inform the ways in which teachers and parents change their own behavior to support students through these emotional challenges. For example, the praise students receive can influence their self-perceptions; when students consistently hear, “You’re so smart,” it can open the door for self-doubt and perfectionism. Mindset Kit offers an excellent brief lesson on using process-praise. The challenge of IOAPA classes is incredibly beneficial for high ability students in many ways. It can also result in some new struggles for these students, especially when they’ve never encountered this type of challenge before. It is our hope that these resources will be useful in understanding and meeting students’ emotional needs.
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Helping Iowa Teachers Discover Students Who Are Ready For Advanced ... Wednesday, September 20, 2017 The Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA) and the Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS) are working together to help schools provide a defensible, objective, research-based method of selecting students for above-level coursework. The above-level tests administered through BESTS can yield essential information for determining whether a student is ready for additional challenge, such as that provided by an IOAPA course.
Why above-level testing? Scores from grade level tests demonstrate that students have mastered grade-level material, but they don’t tell us how much additional challenge the students need. Above-level tests can help us identify the extent and types of challenge each student requires. See our previous post for more details on how above-level testing works. Students in grades 4-6 participate in BESTS by taking I-Excel, and this test can be administered by teachers to one or more students in their schools whenever is convenient for them. This is available to Iowa fifth grade students for free, and the cost for students in other grades is very reasonable. Students in grades 7-9 are recommended to take the ACT, and signing up through BESTS will provide detailed interpretation of test scores and information about programs and resources relevant to high ability students. There are four basic steps to follow for participation in BESTS: 1. Choose the semester for which you want to enroll students in IOAPA courses and begin registering for BESTS. For courses beginning in Spring 2018, begin the BESTS process by October. For courses beginning in Fall 2018, begin the BESTS process no later than January 2018. 2. Find the students who are ready for additional challenge; these are the students who will be recommended for participation in BESTS. Typically, students who have earned scores at or above the 90 th percentile on grade-level standardized tests, such as the Iowa Assessments, are strong candidates for above-level testing. 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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3. Notify the students identified in Step 2 and their families about the opportunity to participate in BESTS, and work with the Belin-Blank Center to arrange assessment sessions for interested students. 4. Inform students and parents about test results and the recommended course of action. Curious about bringing BESTS to your students? Visit www.belinblank.org/talent-search for more information, and a video about talent search and above-level testing. When you’re ready to set up testing, email assessment@belinblank.org.
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IOAPA 2016 Annual Report Thursday, September 28, 2017 Each year, IOAPA staff develop a report demonstrating the progress we’ve made toward our goal of making advanced learning opportunities available for all Iowa students. If you’re curious about what we achieved in 2016-2017, check out this infographic for an overview. You can also find many more details in the public annual report posted on our website.
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Why IOAPA? Thursday, October 12, 2017 As we approach the beginning of spring registration, students might be wondering why they should consider taking AP courses in general, and IOAPA courses specifically. Here are just a few reasons we feel strongly about making online advanced learning opportunities available for students. • IOAPA courses extend opportunities not available in person. For many students in Iowa, geography and school resources can too often dictate the opportunities to which they have access. IOAPA reduces these influences by providing free, online courses and AP Exam Reviews, and partnering with schools to make in-person support and AP Exams available. • IOAPA courses allow for flexibility in learning. IOAPA courses are scheduled into students’ regular school day, which increases opportunities for accessing support and likelihood of completing the work. However, the courses are independent, which allows students to set their own goals and priorities and complete the work on their terms. This flexibility and independence enables students to practice and develop skills beyond those taught in the coursework. • Online courses offer unique challenges. In addition to the rigor of above-level courses, IOAPA students learn how to navigate a virtual learning environment, manage time with other commitments, and advocate for their educational needs. IOAPA is a great learning environment for online courses because it provides students with additional support as they become familiar with the process of online learning. As enrollment in online courses increases, early experiences with the nuances of online coursework prepare students for this unique learning situation. • AP courses are nationally recognized. Because AP courses are administered by The College Board, class standards are consistent regardless of where or how you complete the course. Receiving AP exam credit demonstrates a certain level of proficiency that colleges and universities can then use to determine placement. Also, it’s easy to determine how credits might transfer regardless of where you attend college using the database managed by The College Board. • Colleges like AP. Researchers in higher education have found relationships between AP participation and achievement, readiness, and college degree attainment. Reporting a commitment to academic challenge like taking AP courses early on reflects positively on students’ drive to succeed post-high school. If these reasons have been convincing, head over to our website, www.belinblank.org/ioapa for more information, including the course catalog and registration procedures. Spring registration opens November 1, 2017.
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Discovering Talented Students: Using ContentArea Scores for IOAPA ... Monday, October 23, 2017 The partnership between the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) and the Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS) is a great way to connect talented students with appropriate assessment and educational opportunities. Eligibility for IOAPA middle school courses is determined through use of grade-level (Iowa Assessments) and above-level (I-Excel or ACT) assessments. BESTS recommends nominating students who earn scores at or above the 95 th percentile on grade-level standardized tests for above-level testing. (If your school uses eITP, check out this great tool for an easy way to find these students!)
Scores at or above the 50 th percentile on an above-level test are indicative of a need for additional challenge, such as that provided by IOAPA courses. For further discussion of above-level testing and using the scores, check out our past blog posts, especially this one and this one. Above-level assessments can provide individual domain scores specific to each content area measured, and an overall composite score reflecting performance across areas. IOAPA recommends using content-area scores, rather than overall scores, to ensure that advanced learning opportunities are available to all talented students in their area(s) of strength. I-Excel and ACT both yield scores in Science, Mathematics, English, and Reading. ACT also includes a Writing section that yields its own score. The table below details the relevant content area score(s) for each of our IOAPA middle school courses.
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In addition to the guidelines in the table above, consideration of course prerequisites can be useful when debating in what subject area(s) students should qualify. This information is available from the IOAPA course catalog by clicking “Learn more.� under the course(s) of interest. For additional information on BESTS, visit www.belinblank.org/talent-search or email assessment@belinblank.org. For further information on IOAPA, visit www.belinblank.org/ioapa or email ioapa@belinblank.org.
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Course Resources for IOAPA Mentors Thursday, November 02, 2017 The Iowa Online AP Academy consistently strives to provide the best possible support for our mentors, and we are proud to partner with course vendors who share that goal. Both Apex and Edhesive provide extensive resources to facilitate the use of the course platforms and to promote best practices in online learning. Some of these resources, including a new webinar series for AP Computer Science A, will be described below.
Edhesive For our computer science mentors, several course functionalities have been discussed in some detail in previous blog posts, like this one and this one. Edhesive has curated course-specific Support sections, available to each coach (a.k.a. mentor) through their Edhesive dashboard. Support materials in this section include information about teaching in blended classrooms, specific information about course tools such as Code Runner, and resources to guide course pacing to facilitate on-time completion of the material. In addition to these materials, Edhesive recently presented a series of webinars for AP Computer Science A coaches. The three webinars in this series discuss: getting started with AP CSA; tips, tricks, and tools for using Canvas; and suggestions for maximizing use of the forums. These webinars were recorded, and can be viewed by AP Computer Science A mentors by visiting the Help section (as indicated in the screenshot below) and scrolling to the last module.
Apex Learning For the rest of our mentors, Apex Learning offers several methods for obtaining support. In Help Home, which can be accessed from the mentor dashboard, mentors will find Getting Started guides for staff and students, which present information on using the course platform. In addition, there are course-specific syllabi and guides to provide an overview of course content and aid in pacing. Finally, in the Help Home section, mentors can find answers to many “How To� questions concerning the course platform. 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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Another useful support resource through Apex is the Educator Academy. In this section, you can find video modules and webinars on using different features of the course site, as well as program resources to inform implementation of online learning options at the school level. Some aspects of implementation are guided by participation through IOAPA, but examination of these resources may help guide decisions about school-level policies and practices around IOAPA courses specifically, and online learning in general. In addition, the Educator Academy includes a Community feature in which all teachers of Apex courses can read and pose questions for other teachers and Apex staff.
We hope the support resources highlighted here can be of assistance. We also have a wealth of support resources on our website, www.belinblank.org/ioapa. Visit the Support Materials section to view the Handbook, our infographics, and other resources for selecting and implementing IOAPA courses. Don’t forget, spring registration for IOAPA opened this week, and classes will fill up quickly. Get the registration process started today!
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Computer Science Education in Iowa Thursday, November 09, 2017 At the end of April, then-Governor Branstad signed Senate File 274 into law, establishing goals for expanding computer science education opportunities for Iowa students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Read more about the bill here. These goals include: offering at least one CS course in each high school and offering basic and exploratory computer science instruction in each elementary and middle school. The bill also created a work group to make recommendations for meeting these goals by July 1, 2019. The Computer Science Education Work Group released their final report last week. The report includes detailed recommendations for using CS courses to satisfy graduation requirements, integrating CS courses into a career and technical education (CTE) pathway, ensuring equitable access by offering courses in a number of settings, developing a scope and sequence for CS education, and using the CS professional development fund to meet goals. It will be exciting to see these recommendations turn into actions to expand CS education access to all students in Iowa.
Through the Iowa Online AP Academy, high-ability Iowa students in 6th through 12th grades can access above-level CS coursework, and teachers can take advantage of professional development opportunities. Registration for our spring-semester Introduction to Computer Science course for students in 6th-9th grades is available now; visit our website for more on courses and registration.
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ICYMI – When IOAPA Staff are Stretched Thin Thursday, November 16, 2017 As you begin to wrap up one semester and plan for the next, we hope this information, originally published in January 2016, will be useful! In many rural schools, staff take on multiple roles in order to provide a wealth of experiences to their students. However, this often means that teachers are stretched thin in terms of time and resources available for working with students. In many instances, gifted education programs are hardest hit. Gifted coordinators in rural areas often work with students at all grade levels and may not interact with their students every day given the many tasks they have to complete. For our IOAPA schools, this sometimes presents challenges in terms of monitoring student progress, assessing for concerns or difficulties with courses or technology, and working to build relationships where students can ask for help. How can IOAPA coordinators make their program successful despite these constraints? • Develop a learning plan with your students. Although most students benefit from clear goals and plans to accomplish them, a learning plan or contract may be particularly useful for IOAPA coordinators filling multiple roles. The learning plan can be used not only to address content or course-specific goals, but also to ask for student input on how you as a site coordinator can best support them and help them meet their goals. Through development of a learning plan with your students, coordinators can know what student goals are for the course as well as strategies that might be useful for success. • Plan for check-in daily (even if not face to face). Although online courses encourage students to work independently, it is often still helpful to know that the site coordinators and mentors at their school are available for support. For teachers who many not interact with their students daily, checking in using technology or planning for a regular status update from your students can help you keep tabs on students who may be struggling. • Find someone to support your students on-site while they work. If you aren’t available on-site for your IOAPA students’ courses due to scheduling conflicts, make sure that they have someone available to supervise and ensure they are working on their IOAPA coursework. This can range from arranging for students to sit with other teachers during prep periods or study halls or finding teachers to act as mentors (more on that below). • Plan for time when students can ask questions. Another key part of supporting your students is ensuring availability for answering questions and providing support even if you do not interact with them regularly. Site coordinators might implement time before or after school for answering questions for their students on a regular basis. Another tool IOAPA site coordinators might use is setting up progress meetings at set points throughout the semester. Progress meetings will allow for face-to-face contact with your students and will help you identify areas in which they might need additional support. • Ask an on-site teacher to act as a mentor. Participation in IOAPA requires the establishment of a designated site coordinator and mentor to provide on-site support to your IOAPA students. Although many schools choose to have only one person in these roles, such as the TAG Coordinator, schools can choose to designate a separate mentor or mentors for their IOAPA students. The TAG Coordinator would then take on responsibilities related to the IOAPA site 28
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coordinator position while the on-the-ground work would become part of the IOAPA mentor’s duties. For IOAPA site coordinators who fill multiple roles, this can be a good way for a staff member on-site to build a relationship with your IOAPA students and aid in navigating any challenges that students might experience. We recommend considering mentors for your students who: Are available in some way during your IOAPA student’s class time (this might include having students work independently in the classroom while the mentor teaches so that the mentor can check in on them) • Are trusted by the mentee. The student may have already developed a relationship with them from previous courses or activities, which can create a system of accountability. • Can contribute meaningfully to their IOAPA course due to shared experiences with the student. Although it is not a requirement that a mentor be an expert in the course subject, mentors who can relate personally to the student as well as aid in learning course material can be beneficial when students are feeling struck. • Provide feedback with high expectations and belief in abilities. Mentors often act as one of the primary encouragers to their students—by knowing that the mentors are part of their support network, students may be more likely to persist when coursework becomes challenging. Other ideas and sources of support for IOAPA site coordinators and mentors can be found in the IOAPA Handbook or through participation in the IOAPA Mentor Network. For more about the IOAPA model, visit our website at belinblank.org/ioapa.
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My 4th-6th Grade Students are Taking I-Excel Soon: How Do I Help Th... Thursday, November 30, 2017
I-Excel is an above-level test for talented 4 th – 6 th graders. The purpose of testing is to discover high ability students, so we can help them find the academic challenges they need. The best preparation for taking a standardized test such as I-Excel is to get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast. This helps to set the student up for success. Before taking I-Excel, we recommend that students try the sample items so they become comfortable with the format of the test. Beyond that, we do not recommend that students study for the test. The most useful scores result when students understand the format but do not study for the test. Families receive a link to the sample test in their confirmation email. Registered students can use the email address associated with the registration to access the sample items, or contact assessment@belinblank.org to receive the link and a temporary access code. What should you tell students about taking I-Excel? • They should know that this is a challenging test that was originally designed for 8 th graders. • They should try to do their best, but it is very common not to finish one or more sections of the test. • It is highly likely they won’t know everything on the test. This is expected and okay. • The fact that they were invited to take this challenging test alone is proof that they are doing very well. If the test is not during a regular school day, make sure they know what time to arrive and where to meet. They should bring: • A calculator for use during the Mathematics test as long as it does not have one of the prohibited characteristics listed here. • A snack to eat during a break. We recommend something healthy, such as an apple. • Two pencils. • Scrap paper will be provided. For more information about I-Excel, see www.i-excel.org.
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Scholarships and Programs for IOAPA Students Thursday, November 30, 2017 While the end of the year is often a time for looking back on the year that’s passed, it’s also a time for looking and planning ahead for the summer and the coming year. We’ve rounded up some relevant programs and scholarships for IOAPA students, from incoming sixth graders to college-bound seniors. Please note that inclusion on this list does not indicate an endorsement by the Belin-Blank Center or the University of Iowa. Summer Programs for IOAPA Students • Belin-Blank Center Summer Programs: The Belin-Blank Center has a wide variety of residential opportunities for students in grades 6 through 11, including advanced courses in areas of interest, advanced research opportunities, and immersive residencies in art and writing. Information regarding these programs is available at belinblank.org/summer, and nomination materials for most programs will become available shortly. • Residential Summer Programs Across the Country: The Davidson Institute compiled a list of residential summer programs for high ability students all over the country. View the list here. • Summer Day Camps Across the Country: The Davidson Institute has also compiled a list of day camps for high ability students arranged by state. This list is available here. Scholarships Relevant to IOAPA Students • Scholarships for Gifted Students: The Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page has a section devoted to college scholarships, some of which are relevant to high ability students. In addition, the Davidson Institute has lists of scholarships for younger gifted students and older gifted students for attending summer enrichment programs or recognizing achievements. • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has many ways to meet the needs of high ability students, including scholarships for students in middle school and high school. The College Scholarship application period has ended for this year, but will be available again next September. • Scholarships for Rural Students: There are a number of scholarships specifically for rural students. Some opportunities include the Hagan Scholarship Foundation, the Foundation for Rural Service, and the America’s Farmers: Grow Ag Leaders scholarship. Additional programs and scholarships may be available through local companies, schools, and universities. It’s never too early to plan for the future – hopefully this list will help jump start your planning!
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Making Objective Decisions about Students Taking Advanced Courses Friday, December 08, 2017 As 2017 comes to a close, you may be starting to think about planning for next year. Maybe you have students who have already mastered the classroom curriculum, and you’re not sure how to keep them challenged and engaged. Perhaps your district is trying to identify students who are ready for additional challenge. Or maybe you have students interested in taking advanced courses, but you’re not sure if they would qualify, or what classes they should take. Above-level testing can help with all of these issues. Looking back on this year, one of our most exciting developments has been the partnership between the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) and the Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS), our above-level testing program. We’ve rounded up some of the posts we’ve shared over the past several months for use in implementing BESTS and IOAPA for your high ability students. The Best-Kept Secret in Gifted Education: Above-Level Testing — This post offers an excellent overview of the theory and research behind above-level testing. Helping Iowa Teachers Discover Students Who Are Ready for Advanced Online Courses — This post summarizes the connection between BESTS and IOAPA and provides steps for implementation. I’m Ready to Set Up I-Excel Testing for This Year: Where Do I Start? — Specific steps for setting up I-Excel are included in this post.
My 4th-6th Grade Students are Taking I-Excel Soon: How Do I Help Them Get Ready? — Guidelines for preparing students for an above-level test are discussed. Have Your 7th-9th Graders Registered to Take the ACT? — This post includes useful information about using the ACT as an above-level test for 7th through 9th grade students. Current information about fees, test session dates, and registration deadlines can be found at www.belinblank.org/talent-search. Discovering Talented Students: Using Content-Area Scores for IOAPA Eligibility — Specific guidelines for determining eligibility for IOAPA courses are presented here. Making Sense of Test Scores — This post provides an overview of IDEAL Solutions® for STEM Acceleration. We hope these posts are useful as you begin preparing to implement BESTS and IOAPA 32
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for the 2018-2019 school year. Feel free to visit belinblank.org/talent-search and belinblank.org/ioapa for more information on the programs, or email assessment@belinblank.org or ioapa@belinblank.org with additional questions.
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Sharing the Secret to Understanding High-Ability Students’ Academic... Tuesday, December 12, 2017 We have called above-level testing “the best-kept secret in gifted education.” What do we mean by that? Above-level testing, which is a way of helping us more accurately measure a student’s aptitudes, is under-utilized in gifted education. Imagine you are working with two students, Jessica and Mary. Both of them have scored at the 99 th percentile on the mathematics subtest of the Iowa Assessments when compared to other 5 th graders. They are both strong in math, but how do we know the extent of their skills? What should they learn next? Psychologists say that the students have “hit the ceiling of the test” because they got everything (or almost everything) right on the grade-level test. What we need is a harder test that would more accurately measure their talents and help us to tailor instruction to their specific needs. Enter an above-level test. Rather than creating a special test for these students, we give them I-Excel, which contains 8 th grade content. Jessica scores at the 85 th percentile when compared to 8 th graders, and Mary scores at the 20 th percentile when compared to 8 th graders. This indicates that Jessica is ready for much more challenge (likely accelerative opportunities) in math than Mary, even though both students have shown they are very good at math compared to typical students in their 5 th grade regular classroom. We’ll dive into this concept in more detail in the webinar and the (optional) online class that follows it. Learn how you can apply the process of above-level testing so you can learn more about your students’ aptitudes and to think about the types of programming accommodations they need. Above-level testing is key to helping us tailor educational programs for gifted students. It helps us to understand the students need for challenge in specific subject areas and to act on the information appropriately. The webinar will be held on January 9, 2018 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Central time. Register for the webinar here. Registration is for one computer, and one registration may be shared by multiple participants. We encourage schools, districts, and even AEAs to register to allow as many participants as possible access to this Webinar. Can’t make the live webinar? Don’t worry. You can still register for the event and a link to the recording will be emailed to you when it’s available. Cost: $45 for registration for either the Webinar or the link to watch it after the Webinar; $55 for registration for BOTH the Webinar and the link. After the webinar, you may also take a one-semester-hour class on the topic. Registration information for that class is available here. The class meets online from January 16-February 5, 2018.
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Financial Assistance for AP Summer Institutes Friday, January 05, 2018 Though nothing about the current weather suggests that it’s time to start thinking about summer, the quickly-approaching deadlines for the College Board AP Summer Institute scholarships suggest otherwise.
Each year, the College Board offers a number of scholarships to support teachers in attending an Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI). AP Summer Institutes provide subject-specific training for teachers who are interested in teaching an AP course. Summer Institutes can also support current teachers of AP courses seeking to further develop their skills, or gain familiarity with a redesigned version of the course (such as the 2018-2019 redesign of AP US Government and Politics). There are APSIs all around the country, including a College Board-approved APSI on the University of Iowa campus (AP Teacher Training Institute; www.belinblank.org/aptti). Scholarships offered by the College Board include the AP Fellows Program for teachers at schools serving minority or low-income students, the AP Rural Fellows Program for teachers at rural schools, the AP Redesign Scholarship for teachers of the AP US Government and Politics course, and the AP Capstone Scholarship for teachers of the AP Capstone course. Additional details and application materials are available on the College Board’s website. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is February 15, 2018, so if you’re considering attending an AP Summer Institute, apply today! The AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) also offers a grant for Iowa teachers to defray the cost of tuition. See our website for more details.
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Getting Started With IOAPA Edhesive Courses Friday, January 19, 2018 Early in the semester, it can be challenging to know how best to get started with IOAPA courses. We’ve put together step-by-step instructions to help anyone who may be struggling to get started. We’d also recommend saving this post for future reference, as it will be useful at the start of each semester. 1. Register your students through IOAPA. 1. Look for an email from Edhesive containing specific instructions on setting up your Teacher account and familiarizing yourself with the course materials. NOTE: If the person who registered the students is not the person who will be mentoring the course, send an email to info@edhesive.com and CC ioapa@belinblank.org explaining the situation. Be sure to include your name, email, and school name. If you know the Section Token assigned to the course(s) you intend to mentor, include that as well. 1. After you have created and logged into your Teacher account, visit the Help section and click through the Support materials. You may especially want to look at the suggestions regarding course pacing in the “Customizing YOUR Course” section. We strongly recommend viewing all the support materials, as they are full of information that will maximize your students’ success with Edhesive courses. 2. Visit the Teacher Forum and set up your Piazza account. See this post for more information on using the Teacher Forum. 3. Send the step-by-step instructions for enrolling AND the Section Token (both included in the original email from Edhesive) to the registered students so they can enroll themselves in your section of the course. 4. Verify with students that they are enrolled and can access the course. Return to your Edhesive teacher account and visit the gradebook to ensure that you can see enrolled students’ progress. Don’t hesitate to contact us at ioapa@belinblank.org with questions. Other useful sources of information related to IOAPA Computer Science courses include the Edhesive Teacher Forum, the Edhesive blog, our IOAPA Twitter account ( @belinblankIOAPA), and the Edhesive Twitter account ( @TeamEdhesive). Keep following our blog to stay up to date on all things IOAPA!
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Everything You Need to Know About 2018 AP Exams Wednesday, January 24, 2018 With the spring semester well underway, many AP students and teachers are beginning to count down to the big exam. This post will present information about AP Exam logistics, including the schedule, ordering and costs, and exam accommodations. Stay tuned to the blog for a future post on motivating students to take AP Exams. The Schedule A full AP Exam schedule is available on the College Board website. A summary of exam dates for IOAPA courses is presented below. All morning exams begin at 8:00am, and all afternoon exams begin at 12:00pm unless otherwise indicated. AP Biology: Monday, May 14 – Morning AP Calculus AB: Tuesday, May 15 – Morning AP Chemistry: Monday, May 7 – Morning AP Computer Science A: Tuesday, May 15 – Afternoon AP Computer Science Principles: Friday, May 11 – Afternoon AP English Language and Composition: Wednesday, May 16 – Morning AP English Literature and Composition: Wednesday, May 9 – Morning AP Environmental Science: Thursday, May 10 – Afternoon AP Macroeconomics: Wednesday, May 16 – Afternoon AP Microeconomics: Friday, May 18 – Morning AP Psychology: Monday, May 7 – Afternoon AP Spanish Language and Culture: Tuesday, May 8 – Morning AP Statistics: Thursday, May 17 – Afternoon AP US Government and Politics: Thursday, May 10 – Morning AP US History: Friday, May 11 – Morning
Exam Ordering and Costs Students (generally with advice from teachers, parents, school counselors, or other school personnel) are responsible for deciding whether to take AP Exam(s) for the courses in which they enrolled. Schools are responsible for ordering those exams from the College Board for all students who indicate intent to complete exams. The priority deadline for ordering AP Exams is March 30 th. All AP Exams must be ordered no later
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than April 20, 2018. Orders placed after April 13, 2018, will incur late fees. More information about specific procedures for ordering exams is available from the College Board. Different states and schools handle exam fees differently. In general, for 2018 exams most students will pay the school $94 per exam. The College Board offers reduced-fee exams for students with financial need; these students generally pay the school $53 per exam. Further information can be found on the College Board website. Additional financial assistance may be available through federal and state funding. Federal funding for AP Exams has changed with the authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, with funds previously devoted to the AP Test Fee Program now being consolidated into a new Title IV, Part A block grant. Districts and/or states can use these funds to subsidize exam fees for economically disadvantaged students; check with your school to find out what assistance is available in your district. Exam Accommodations Students with disabilities who wish to take AP Exams with accommodations must submit a request to the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). This process changed slightly last year, and you can visit our previous post on this topic for more details. For 2018 exams, requests for accommodations must be made by February 23.
As the AP Exams approach, keep an eye on our blog and our Twitter ( @belinblankIOAPA) for helpful tips!
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Using Above-Level Testing to Connect Talented Students with Challen... Friday, February 02, 2018 As you may know, the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) and the Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS) have teamed up to provide identification and programming services to help Iowa teachers find talented students and develop their abilities. For more on how BESTS and IOAPA work together, check out our IOAPABESTS blog roundup.
In order to use this year’s above-level testing scores to inform eligibility for next year’s IOAPA courses, now is the time to being the above-level testing process. There are four basic steps for participation in BESTS. 1. Find the students who are ready for additional challenge; these are the students who will be recommended for participation in BESTS. Typically, students who have earned scores at or above the 90 th percentile on grade-level standardized tests, such as the Iowa Assessments, are strong candidates for above-level testing. 2. Notify the students identified in Step 2 and their families about the opportunity to participate in BESTS. 3. Contact assessment@belinblank.org as soon as possible to set up testing. Note that if you have 7 th-9 th grade students in need of above-level testing, they will be taking the ACT, and there are specific deadlines for registration; visit belinblank.org/talent-search for specific information. I-Excel testing sessions for current 4 th-6 th graders are more flexible to schedule, but it’s still important to reach out soon to ensure that the process can be completed in time for your desired test date(s). 4. Inform students and parents about test results and the recommended course of action following testing. Through generous grant funding, IOAPA is able to provide FREE above-level testing for Iowa 5 th grade students. Simply mention IOAPA when requesting testing to access this opportunity for your 5 th grade students. A new research project at the Belin-Blank Center, the Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE) project, is currently seeking Iowa middle schools with whom to partner to identify and serve talented underrepresented students. Students at TICE partner schools would receive financial and technical support to test high-ability 6 th graders and offer a career intervention program during 7 th grade. If you are interested in applying to
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become a TICE school, fill out the online application ( https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1QSZO3Zblbhp5op) or contact javits@belinblank.org.
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APTTI Registration Is Open! Friday, February 09, 2018 Attention, educators: Are you interested in expanding your school’s AP offerings and developing an AP culture at your school? Come join us on the University of Iowa campus June 26-30, 2018 to become qualified to teach an AP course.
We will be offering workshops for AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP U.S. History. Visit our website to learn more.
Registration is now open, and financial assistance is available from the College Board, and for Iowa teachers through an IOAPA grant. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
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Your 7th-9th Graders Can Take the ACT Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Your 7 th-9 th graders have a unique opportunity to take the ACT through the Belin-Blank Center; this test is usually given to 11 th and 12 th graders during the college admissions process. Bright younger students can take it as a way of demonstrating their academic abilities, becoming eligible for academic recognition such as the Belin-Blank Recognition Ceremony, and becoming eligible for educational opportunities (such as summer and weekend programs) and scholarships. Eligible 7 th-9 th graders will have earned a score at the 95 th percentile or above on a core subject of a grade-level test (such as the Iowa Assessments). Those students have already demonstrated high achievement on grade-level tests and are ready to show what they have learned or are ready to learn by taking an “above-level” test, or one that is designed for older students. A disadvantage of grade-level tests is that they do not accurately measure highly-able students’ abilities; think of it like a yardstick that is too short to measure the extent of their talents. The above-level test essentially lengthens the yardstick and helps us to know more about the students’ abilities and to make sound educational recommendations for them. The cost for ACT is $70. The next test session is April 14th, and the deadline is March 7th (a late fee is added for those who register after that date). We encourage educators to let their students know about this unique opportunity. For more information, visit www.belinblank.org/talent-search.
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Expanding IOAPA’s Above-Level Math Pathway Monday, February 26, 2018 We at the Iowa Online AP Academy are excited to announce the addition of two new courses for the 2018-2019 school year! Both courses expand the existing above-level math pathway, allowing students to access additional high school math courses during middle school. Our current offerings, Algebra I (Honors) and Geometry (Honors), can now be followed by Algebra II (Honors) and Precalculus (Honors). All courses in this sequence are available for students in grades 6 through 8 who do not have access to a comparable in-person course. Algebra II (Honors) builds on the concepts addressed in Algebra I, and develops skills necessary for future advanced math courses. Due to the reliance on Algebra I concepts, students are strongly encouraged to complete an Algebra I course or demonstrate mastery of Algebra I concepts prior to enrolling in Algebra II. Precalculus (Honors) introduces students to concepts that integrate their previous learning with new skills to prepare students for Calculus and beyond. Prior to enrolling in Precalculus, students should successfully complete Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry or demonstrate mastery of relevant concepts. There are a number of ways in which schools and students can choose to handle the sequencing of these courses.
When planning advanced course sequences for students, it is important to consider what comes before and after the main sequence. For example, if bright students have access to Algebra in 6 th grade, might they also have access to Pre-Algebra during 5 th grade? Additionally, if students are completing a number of high school math courses during middle school, what math courses will they take in high school? Will the courses taken in middle school count toward high school graduation requirements? If not, how will students have access to sufficient math coursework to meet those requirements once they reach high school? Planning is essential to ensure that high ability students continue to learn new things throughout their educational careers. Registration for fall courses opens the week of March 19. Stay tuned to the blog, our website, and our Twitter for updates. Don’t forget to get started with above-level testing for middle school course eligibility. As always, contact us with questions at ioapa@belinblank.org.
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AP Exam Reviews Through IOAPA Monday, March 19, 2018 UPDATE: All of our AP Exam Reviews have now been spoken for. As mentioned below, we had an extremely limited number this year, due to increased enrollments in courses. If schools and/or families would like to purchase the reviews on their own, directly from Apex Learning, we would be happy to send you information about that. Contact ioapa@belinblank.org. The Iowa Online AP Academy is pleased to announce that the AP Online Exam Review will again be available to all Iowa AP students and teachers. Students in IOAPA AP classes are automatically set up, and students in your on-site AP classes are eligible to sign up for AP Exam Review. AP Exam Review is available through Apex Learning for the following 13 AP courses: 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.
Significantly fewer AP Exam Reviews are available this year than in years past, due to extremely high interest in our ever-expanding course offerings. In light of these limitations, we ask that schools carefully consider their students’ need for and interest in this modality of support before signing students up for AP Exam Review through Apex. Please make this opportunity available to students who will make use of the support, and especially to students who may lack access to other resources.
The process for schools to register students for AP Exam Review differs from the registration for online AP courses. Please read the following instructions carefully. If you have questions about signing students up for AP Exam Review, you can contact Lori Hudson at ioapa@belinblank.org, 1-800-336-6463, or 319-335-6148. There are two ways for schools to set up users. Option 1: The first option is for the Site Coordinator to create a Classroom through their IOAPA account (use the Classroom Tab). Site Coordinators may then add students to each AP Exam Review subject class they create. To add or edit a Classroom for AP Exam Review, please sign in to http://ioapa.apexvs.com/ApexUI/ and click on the Classroom 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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tab. The Exam Review should be the only class showing. Click on the “Add a Classroom” button on the right and follow the prompts to add the class, select the exam review content, and add students. Add a classroom for each Exam Review content area you want to access. Do not enroll mentors through this Classroom tab; instead, add them as staff in the Staff Tab. They can then select the Exam Review areas they need. Option 2, to be used if you will be enrolling 25 or more students: The second option is for the school to send a completed Excel file (contact ioapa@belinblank.org for template) to Support at Apex Learning. Apex Learning Support staff will register the students for your school if you have more than 25 students per review. Given the limited number of AP Exam Reviews available this year, this option will be very rarely needed. Option 2 Instructions: List each student on a single line. Indicate which AP Exam Review course(s) by product code the student should be enrolled in. Product codes are listed in the Product Code tab on the bottom of the AP Exam Review File form. If a student wants to be in multiple exam review, list each course on the single line and separate each course product code with a comma. If you have more than 25 users to enroll, please contact the Apex Learning Support team for information on bulk registration/enrollment. Please attach your completed Excel file to an email addressed to support@apexlearning.com. Use the email subject line: IOAPA – {Your School Name} AP Exam Review Student List. We’re excited to make this resource available to Iowa students! Contact us at ioapa@belinblank.org with any questions.
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Encouraging Students to Take AP Exams Monday, March 26, 2018 Around this time of year, AP teachers across the country frequently hear the following question: “Why should I take the AP Exam?” This blog post will provide some responses to that question, and some tips for AP teachers to encourage their students to take AP Exams. Why Should Students Take The Exam? First off, AP Exams are the only way to earn college credit for AP courses. This can be a strong motivation for students, as one of the advantages of AP courses is that they provide opportunities to earn college credit while in high school, and achieve ‘advanced placement’ upon entering college. Second, the experience of taking AP exams is beneficial for students even beyond the exposure to advanced material presented in the course. One study found that students who took one or more AP Exams were more likely to enroll in college than students who did not take any AP exams (Chajewski, Mattern, & Shaw, 2011). Students who took both an AP course and exam outperformed students who took an AP course only with regard to both college achievement and graduation (Hargrove, Godin, & Dodd, 2008). Research findings generally suggest that AP course participation yields benefits beyond non-AP courses, and that AP Exam participation compounds those benefits. Finally, the AP Exams are a socially appropriate way of “showing off” what you’ve learned, and students who participate and succeed on a high number of AP Exams can earn recognition in addition to college credit. There are several opportunities to earn special recognition, and they are detailed on the AP Awards and Recognition page of the AP Students website.
How Can Teachers Encourage Students Who Are On The Fence? A personal conversation with students about their goals for taking AP coursework is a good first step. If their goal is to earn credit for college, they must take the exam in order to achieve it. If they entered the class with a different goal, the AP Exam may or may not be necessary. In general, it is recommended that all students who complete an AP course take the corresponding exam. Some students may be worried about underperforming on the AP Exam. Mentors can discuss these concerns with students and reassure them that tthere is no penalty associated with low AP Exam scores. The exam is separate from the course grade, so 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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course grades will not be negatively impacted by a low AP Exam score, and low scores will not have an impact on college admission decisions. Students can also control how and to whom their AP Exam scores are reported if they are concerned about college admissions. Some students may be worried that they won’t be prepared for the AP Exam. There are a lot of great resources available to determine readiness for AP Exams. The College Board provides sample questions on their website and many independent publishers offer books aimed at helping with AP Exam preparation. Making these tools available is an excellent way to help students feel prepared and motivated to take the AP Exam. What Else Should We Know? For information on 2018 AP Exam dates, ordering, and other details, review our previous blog post. You can also visit the College Board website for relevant school preparation and Exam Day information. As always, feel free to contact ioapa@belinblank.org with questions, and stay tuned to our blog for more AP Exam tips! References Chajewski, M., Mattern, K. D., & Shaw, E.J. (2011). Examining the role of Advanced Placement Exam participation in four-year college enrollment. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30(4), 16-27. Hargrove, L., Godin, D., & Dodd, B. (2008). College outcomes comparisons by AP and non-AP high school experiences. (College Board Research Report No. 2008-3). New York: The College Board. Retrieved from: http://research.collegeboard.org/rr2008-3.pdf.
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IOAPA Fall 2018 Registration Now Open Friday, March 30, 2018 Registration for Fall 2018 Iowa Online AP Academy courses is now open! We are excited to continue to offer above-level courses to high-ability Iowa students at no cost. Courses are available in a variety of subjects, including science, math, language arts, social studies, computer science, and Spanish language. See our full course catalog for specific availability.
For high school students (grades 9 through 12), 15 unique AP courses are available. These courses use a College Board-approved curriculum that aligns with the material covered in introductory-level college courses. Students have the opportunity to earn college credit for these courses by earning a qualifying score on the end-of-year AP Exam. Students in grades 6 through 8 have the opportunity to enroll in high school level courses, including Introduction to Computer Science, Creative Writing, Honors Biology, and Honors Spanish I. Also see our previous blog post on the new math courses available for 2018-2019! Relevant information and policies can be found on our website ( www.belinblank.org.ioapa). It is especially important to take note of the eligibility requirements for schools and students, and to review the Getting Started section prior to registering your school and students. In addition, please keep in mind that these courses are intended for students who would have no other way to take them. They are NOT intended to solve scheduling issues at schools who already offer the course(s) of interest.
If you’re interested in offering on-site AP courses at your school, the AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) provides instruction and certification to teach AP courses. This summer’s institute will occur on the University of Iowa campus June 26-29, 2018. We are offering workshops in the following subjects: AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP Physics, AP US Government, and AP US History. Iowa teachers are eligible for a grant to reduce the cost of attending APTTI. With questions about APTTI, contact aptti@belinblank.org. 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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For additional information about IOAPA, stay tuned to the blog and follow us on Twitter @belinblankIOAPA. With questions, contact ioapa@belinblank.org.
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Last-Minute AP Exam Tips Friday, April 27, 2018 With just over a week until AP Exams begin, high school students across the country are frantically completing their coursework and preparing for the big day. In this blog post, we’ll share a few tips to aid in last-minute studying, as well as some reminders for Exam Day. Study Tips A quick internet search of terms including “AP exam,” “study,” “review,” and “tips” yields millions of results. Below are some of the most common tips from AP experts. • Use practice questions and exams. The types of questions on the AP Exam may be unfamiliar to you, and knowing the material is not necessarily enough to earn a high score on the exam. The College Board offers practice questions on their website , including actual questions from previous years’ exams, and many test prep books and websites have developed their own practice questions. In addition to using these materials to test your knowledge and familiarity with content and question types, you can set up a “mock exam” experience with timing, breaks, etc. so you’re more comfortable on Exam Day. • Review the Course Description document for details about the exam and the evaluation rubric. Each AP Course has its own Course Description; for example, see the AP English Language Course Description. Each Course Description can be accessed from the relevant subject’s Course page. This document also contains additional practice questions! The Exam description within this document can also help you focus your studying — it’s not important that you know every single fact you learned in class; instead, you’ll want to master the topics that are emphasized on the exam. Especially in the Free Response section, exam readers will be looking for synthesis of big concepts rather than just regurgitation of facts. • Study selectively. At this point, you definitely don’t have time to review every single topic covered over the course of the year. However, I bet there are topics you feel pretty confident about, as well as areas in which you struggle. For your last-minute studying, focus primarily on those areas of weakness. See this US News article for more tips. Exam Day Reminders Just like the ACT or SAT, AP Exams are strictly monitored and there are important rules of which to be aware. • Know what you can (and cannot) bring into the exam. Carefully review these lists to make sure you are following the rules. Also check out the calculator policy for relevant courses (including most math and science courses). • Review the Bulletin for AP Students and Parents . Before you can take the AP Exam, you’ll be asked to sign your answer sheet indicating agreement and compliance with the policies and procedures outlined therein. It also gives you an idea of what to expect when you arrive for your exam. • Eat a good breakfast! Most exams take two to three hours, and they require mental and physical endurance. Prepare yourself the best way possible by fueling your body and mind. • Answer all the multiple-choice questions. You won’t be penalized for incorrect answers, so it is to your benefit to take a guess if you’re not sure on a question. By 2017-18 IOAPA Blog Posts
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answering, you give yourself a chance to get it right — usually a one-in-four or better! You have worked hard over the past year, and now’s your chance to demonstrate what you’ve learned and possibly earn some college credit in the process. Simply taking the AP Exam is a great experience, and if you take advantage of these tips you’ll set yourself up for success!
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Register for the AP Teacher Training Institute Soon Thursday, May 03, 2018 With summer just around the corner, now is the time to plan your summer professional development. With so many online and on-campus professional development opportunities available at the Belin-Blank Center, you have many options from which to choose! If your goal this summer is to expand AP opportunities for students in your schools, consider attending the AP Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) on the University of Iowa campus from June 26-29, 2018. With workshops in Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Physics, U.S. Government & Politics, and U.S. History, there’s sure to be a subject of interest to you and your students.
The goals of APTTI are to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to implement an AP course in your school. New and experienced teachers alike can benefit from the training provided by our fantastic consultants. AP U.S. Government & Politics teachers should especially consider attending an AP Summer Institute like APTTI this summer, with the upcoming redesign of the course rolling out in 2018-2019. Seats are still available in our AP U.S. Government workshop, but they’re filling up quickly, so register soon! If you have questions about APTTI, visit belinblank.org/aptti or email aptti@belinblank.org. We can’t wait to see you on the UI campus this summer!
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IOAPA for Middle School – Advice From Current Mentors Friday, May 18, 2018 A recent question on the Belin-Blank Center’s email listserv for gifted education teachers sparked a conversation about various success stories and best practices from experienced IOAPA mentors. With their consent, I have gathered that advice into a blog post so more teachers can benefit from their experiences. Importance of Frequent Face-to-Face Connection Several mentors indicated the necessity of face-to-face interaction with students to monitor performance and promote progress. Deann Scearce (Mount Vernon Middle School) indicated that her 7 th and 8 th grade students are scheduled into her classroom every other day for their IOAPA class. IOAPA requires courses to be scheduled as part of students’ regular school day, and recommends that the mentor be available during scheduled work time. Kelley Grothus (Madrid Middle School) schedules her students for 1.5 hours each day (including lunch). She says, “Sometimes we sit together to go through the material or just so they can talk through their quiz prep and have someone listen to them. Through lunch, I make them the teacher and have them explain what they are learning to me.” Marcia Powell (Oelwein Middle School) uses her mentoring time to “have a conversation if [students] are lagging and to encourage them or reward them with smiles, high-fives, or something else.” In addition, Kelley noted the benefit of developing an online learning community. IOAPA permits schools to register up to 6 students per course, and Kelley uses that to her advantage by offering specific courses each semester (i.e., creative writing one semester, and psychology the next). She reported that “this allows that kids to work together & discuss rather than learn in isolation.” Similarly, Marcia recommends that students “enroll in groups of two or three so they can bounce ideas off of one another.” These opportunities for collaboration with peers, as well as the mentoring component included in the IOAPA model, establish a platform for success in online learning.
Benefits of the Online Curriculum Our mentors appreciate the benefits of these self-contained online classes. Michelle Kavars (Lewis Central Middle School) touted the fact that “there is no real need to ‘teach’ lessons as there are videos, exercises, self-checks, and quizzes along the way.” Each course is a little different, and includes different instructional modalities specifically designed to address the course content; however, this mix of videos, readings,
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assignments, and quizzes is common, and content expertise is not necessary for IOAPA mentors as all the necessary content for our middle school courses is taught by the online instructor. Kelley attested that “the content is well-organized, sequenced, & managed for you, allowing me to expose the students to a variety of content that matches their strengths and interests.” Significance of Purposeful Planning IOAPA allows schools to make courses available to students based on their unique needs and interests, when doing so in person would be resource-prohibitive. However, as many of our mentors reported, purposeful planning is key to success in online learning. Kelley strives to give her students “an authentic & personal connection to the online content.” Our other mentors indicated similar efforts to overcome skepticism often associated with online learning through intentionally establishing ways to connect with students. This planning is also essential when determining what IOAPA courses to make available to students. Taking advantage of courses offered in person, even if at another grade level, is valuable; according to Kelley, “when there is an in-person expert to teach [students], we utilize that.” IOAPA prohibits schools from using our online courses to help with scheduling conflicts; schools are only permitted to offer those courses that are not already available to students through the school. In the case of middle school courses, if transportation or other issues prevent students from accessing an appropriately challenging course within their district, IOAPA courses may be used to address those needs. For example, if an 8 th grade student requires geometry, but the course is only available at the high school level, they would be permitted to enroll in the IOAPA Geometry course. We would still recommend prioritizing in-person classes if it is feasible to do so.
When offering IOAPA middle school courses, one of the most frequent conversations you’ll have with parents and administrators will concern credit. It will be essential to discuss with middle school and high school administrators how credit will be assigned for IOAPA middle school classes, which are high school level courses offered out-of-level to younger-than-typical students. You can see our previous blog post on this issue. Deann’s school follows a unique credit policy: Students review their final grade and decide if they want to receive high school credit – with the grade they earned going on their high school transcript and affecting their high school GPA. Finally, planning cannot end with the current school year. Marcia indicated the importance of considering each student’s course progression through high school, and considering alternative courses that could supplement learning in a content area (i.e.,
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offering online computer science or statistics to a math-talented student, in addition to challenging math curriculum), especially if sufficiently advanced courses in the content area are likely to be unavailable later in the student’s academic career. Conclusion Overall, our mentors express satisfaction with the IOAPA program, and we know that this program would not be successful without the tireless work they put in each day to support students. If you’re interested in making these classes available to your students, visit belinblank.org/ioapa. Contact ioapa@belinblank.org with questions, and stay tuned to the blog for more advice from students and mentors this summer.
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Iowa Online AP Academy