How NMSI Provides Advanced Placement Teacher Support

Although approximately 80% of public high school students in America now attend schools with five or more Advanced Placement classes, course availability doesn’t necessarily translate into equitable access and/or success for students.
 
At National Math and Science Initiative, we believe there are ways to continue expanding access for diverse student populations by equipping teachers with the tools needed to increase participation and success. Before diving into Advanced Placement teacher support, let’s review some key statistics from 2023.
 

Disparate AP Scores by Race

“The College Board’s choice to separate data by the availability of AP courses, participation in AP courses, and performance on AP exams reflects how not all students enroll in AP courses even if their school offers them,” said Kristen Hengtgen, a senior policy analyst who focuses on access to advanced coursework at The Education Trust, an advocacy and research organization.
 
In this same article from Education Week, data illustrates that even though access to AP exams is increasing, racial disparities remain evident in the mean scores nationwide.


 

Access and Preparation Lead to Success

“Each AP Exam question is psychometrically screened for bias, so unsurprisingly, research finds that students of each racial/ethnic group earn similar scores on AP Examinations if they enter the AP class with similar academic preparation. But because there are substantial and enduring disparities in equitable preparation for advanced academic classes, the annual AP Exam results show significant differences in AP Exam scores,” according to College Board. 
 
Since the beginning, NMSI has been committed to encouraging, equipping, and empowering teachers to drive increased enrollment, engagement, and success in AP classes. We are intentional about identifying and addressing the obstacles standing between students and career opportunities in STEM.
 
For many young people today, the biggest barrier is simple to define — and yet, complex to address. It’s the fact that they are potentially first-generation college students, which can put them at a disadvantage for many reasons.
 
Because their parents may not be deeply aware of the nuances of today’s college application process, even those students who have consistently achieved high grades can find themselves academically unprepared for the demands of college curriculums. This can come as an unwelcome shock when they begin to apply for college admission and scholarships.
 

Navigating New Waters

Aspiring first-generation students and their parents are often unaware of what college admission officers consider when reviewing applications. However, educators can help mitigate this understandable lack of insight. Teachers can explain, for example, that students with straight As in easy courses aren’t looked upon as favorably as those students that have challenged themselves with more rigorous coursework.
 
While many factors ultimately lead to college admission, The National Association of Counseling’s College Admission Counseling (NACAC) annual State of College Admissions survey consistently finds that student performance in college preparatory classes is the most important factor in the admission decision process. Teachers can provide academic support and guidance by steering potential first-generation college students to enroll in honors and AP classes and let them know that advanced-level courses are worth the extra effort — not just from a college readiness standpoint, but also from a GPA perspective since many colleges look at weighted grades.
 

How School Culture Supports AP Teachers

Although first-generation college students come from families from any background, about 50% are from low-income families and are also more likely to be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group. This brings us back full circle to the mission of NMSI. We are committed to providing educators with the resources they need to support students from all walks of life, especially those who are farthest away from opportunity.
 
But high-quality, impactful training is bigger than just providing PD for teachers. Helping students see themselves as AP-worthy must go beyond the classroom, permeating the very halls they walk every day. A commitment to advanced opportunities for all must be woven throughout the school’s or district’s culture.
 
“From the students’ perspective, one of the biggest obstacles to enrolling students in AP courses, especially STEM subjects, was their concern about the workload and their ability to succeed in these classes,” said Regina Willingham, gifted content lead teacher for Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) in Atlanta.
 
But it wasn’t just student perceptions getting in the way of increased AP enrollment at CCPS. Well-meaning teachers also had misplaced beliefs about what a suitable candidate for accelerated classes “looked like” in terms of their achievement, potential interest, attitude, or motivation. You can read about CCPS district’s soaring AP qualifying scores here.
 

How NMSI Equips Educators

NMSI’s impactful initiatives have empowered thousands of teachers with evidence-based pedagogy and content for the past 15 years under various names. As part of our continued commitment to delivering the most effective and relevant resources to educators, our new model and offerings now fall under the umbrella of NMSI Professional Development Services.
 
This evolved program delivery model provides a comprehensive set of services that enable districts and states to create customized programs tailored to their specific needs in STEM education, teacher professional development, and fostering STEM cultures within their schools. This model offers schools the flexibility to design programs that meet their unique requirements while maintaining the impactful outcomes NMSI is known for.
 
NMSI’s ability to deliver personalized year-round support equips educators and their students for compounding success. Here are some of our key offerings for AP teacher support:

• Advanced Placement Exam Review Training: Training that guides teachers in implementing NMSI’s AP Exam Review Package for AP mock exams. This service includes group practice, teacher-led classroom workshops, and hands-on activities aligned to the highest-value AP exam topics. Teachers leave the session with an implementation plan.
• Advanced Placement Mock Exam Reading: Training for teachers to learn how to score Advanced Placement free-response answers, examine multiple choice data, and analyze student data for effective classroom instruction.
• Content Workshop: Several consecutive days of immersive pedagogy and content learning experience. Teachers dive deep into exemplary content and instructional practices, including STEM literacy instructional strategies.
• Critical Reasoning for College Readiness Assessment: CR4CR is a pre- and post-assessment of students’ growth in problem solving, computational thinking, and data analysis skills associated with college and workforce readiness. The assessment helps teachers identify students’ skill gaps and accelerate their learning.

 

Bringing AP Teacher Support

The job of being a teacher gets more difficult each year and many aspects of teacher burnout are outside of your control — such as tight budgets, students that lack support at home, mental health challenges for young people — but there are elements of being an educator that are within your realm of influence.
 
When administrators and teachers work together to create a culture of hope, positive expectations, and a belief in opportunity for all, then students can begin to see themselves as those “smart kids” who take AP courses. They can picture themselves on college campuses. They can imagine their own college graduation. And providing educators with high-quality Advanced Placement teacher support is a great place to start. Reach out today to learn how we can bring the power of NMSI and enhanced equitable AP opportunities to your school or district.