Advanced Placement Institute

Benefits of an Advanced Placement Education

In order for high-ability students to feel academically challenged in secondary schools, many choose to take AP courses. Success in an Advanced Placement classroom is often an indicator of success in the future.

• College students who have not taken an AP course have only a 33% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree

• College students who have completed one Advanced Placement course have a 59% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree

• College students who have completed two or more AP courses have a 76% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree

– Statistics from Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Attainment

Challenging Teachers

Students can’t do it alone. As part of an ongoing effort to help schools meet the needs of high-ability students, The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University is pleased to offer the Advanced Placement Summer Institute. Since 1984, the Advanced Placement Summer Institute has assisted teachers in better understanding the demands of AP classrooms and high-ability learners. Consultants are experienced AP teachers who have demonstrated their ability to help other teachers prepare to teach Advanced Placement classes. Many are table readers, table leaders, test writers and even text authors for AP exams. The AP Summer Institute is endorsed by the College Board.

At the Institute, teachers are able to establish relationships with other teachers. One teacher remarked, “I learned a tremendous amount, and I will use it in my classes. I have a new ‘best’ friend as a source of info – actually several new friends to network!” As teachers have the opportunity to engage in professional development, they transfer their passion and commitment to learning to their students. Research by the College Board showed that “86 percent [of participants] indicate changing their instruction based on what they learned, and a quarter indicated that they followed up with a colleague they met there.”

AP teachers enjoy challenging their students, but they also relish pushing themselves to new levels. “I learned so much on Day 1,” a participant said, “that I could have ‘survived’ just from that.” At the AP Summer Institute, teachers embrace the notion of providing a quality learning environment for their students by first challenging themselves to become better educators.