Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2010

More and more, AP classes at Henry Clay High School reflect the diversity of the student body. (Photo: Tammy L. Lane)

Working together, students and teachers at Henry Clay High School are proving that teens of all races and income levels can succeed in the most challenging classes.

“Intelligence is not based on how much money your parents make,” said junior Michael Overstreet. “It’s all about work ethic.”

Across the nation, studies have shown socio-economic and racial disparities in the diversity of enrollment in Advanced Placement classes, and many schools have tried to address the imbalance.

When considering their own numbers, Henry Clay’s administrators and teacher leaders discussed ways to encourage more students to tackle AP classes and developed a strategy. The “Equity in Advanced Placement” program, which started last year, is already making a difference.

This year, the percentage of minority students taking AP classes has grown from 16 to 22 percent, the number of African-American students in AP classes has increased from 48 last year to 69, and the number of Hispanic students has doubled from 11 to 22.

“We discovered there were a lot of kids in general classes who could easily perform at the AP level,” said social studies teacher Chris Snow, who took a leading role in the effort. “Everybody has something they’re good in. If you can take just one AP class a year, that helps you get ready for college.”

Henry Clay offers roughly 20 AP courses in nearly any subject area that students might find interesting, including history, environmental science, calculus, world languages and art.

Teachers are the first step in the “Equity in Advanced Placement” strategy, actively identifying and recruiting students from general-level courses who they think are capable of mastering the tougher class work. They primarily target ninth-graders, but are also looking for sophomores with potential.  

Once identified, students are partnered with upperclassmen who are taking AP classes themselves. The older students become one-on-one mentors, providing a support network for the younger teens as they consider taking AP courses for the first time.

“One purpose is to establish that bond with someone who’s had the experience of an AP class,” said Faina Matveeva, a junior.

The older students tutor the freshmen and sophomores as they study for finals in the fall and help them identify their strengths and aptitudes. After winter break, the mentors offer advice about enrolling in AP courses as the younger students plan their schedules for the next year.

In addition, AP teachers present after-school sessions to describe their classes, course requirements and the estimated workload, including summer reading lists. That gives the ninth-graders a glimpse of what they are getting into and helps them make smart choices.

“I really understood my expectations for the next year and what I should and shouldn’t take,” Michael said of the experience.

The mentoring relationship continues throughout the second semester and accelerates the second year once the younger students are actually enrolled in their AP classes. The veteran students provide encouragement and help celebrate their mentees’ classroom achievements.

“Your mentor is responsible for making sure you get help if you’re struggling,” said Erin Hisle, a senior who spearheaded the initial efforts alongside Snow.

“The biggest thing is motivation … and not letting them slip,” added junior Beth Hansen.

The evolving program now includes weekly meetings with mentors and monthly gatherings of the whole group. The numbers have grown quickly; with nearly 80 mentors and 58 mentees this year, up from about 30 mentors working with two dozen students last year

Principal John Nochta is excited about the positive results.

“It’s really a common-sense way of convincing kids who may not have the background or confidence to take that next step in their education,” he said. “The thing I love about it is the mentor-mentee relationship. It’s kids helping other kids.”

While not all nominees choose to take AP courses, Snow does sense a shift in attitudes around school.

“There’s a lot of myths about AP. We’re trying to break the idea of a general class culture and an AP class culture,” he said, adding, “A lot of the kids just need to be pushed.”

Beth and the other upperclassmen agreed.

“We need to expand those boundaries and make sure all students know they can excel and succeed,” she said.

For more information about the “Equity in Advanced Placement” initiative at Henry Clay High School, e-mail social studies teacher Chris Snow.