Washington State Association for
Supervision
and Curriculum Development
“The Practitioner’s Best Friend”
www.wsascd.org
‘Critical Questions’ Series
February 2008
The following article was contributed by:
Tamra Jackson , college English instructor & AP Psychology teacher
Jeff Jackson, AP U.S. History teacher
Bridgeport High School
Bridgeport School District
How Do You Challenge Second Language Learners
with AP and College Classes?
As educators we believe that all children can learn and achieve, but often an
obstacle to this is making the students believe they can learn and achieve. Before a
student chooses to challenge him or herself with an Advanced Placement course or
a college class, the student will need to be given the tools and encouragement to go
beyond his or her comfort level and take the challenge. Ultimately, our goal is to see
our students succeed and confront obstacles with confidence. We are experiencing
an atmosphere of change, where there is a greater equity in education and students
are eagerly rising to the challenge. We have moved from an academic culture
where students aspire to meet the minimum requirements and graduate from high
school to a culture where students expect to graduate from high school and take
Advanced Placement and college credit with them.
In a district with a high population of second language learners and great poverty,
we have worked hard to not only overcome the language barriers but to raise the bar
for all students and encourage them to aspire to higher academic achievement. The
process begins early in high school. As students enter the ninth grade they are
exposed right away to the opportunities they have available to them over the course
of the next four years. Teachers of the Advanced Placement courses and the
college English courses talk with the students and their parents about the
opportunities and the benefits to taking advantage of those opportunities. Recent
high school graduates and current upper classmen also address these students and
discuss the doors which have opened for them and the advantages they have had
because of their willingness to take the challenge and work hard in both Advanced
Placement and college level courses while in high school. A great deal of time is
spent explaining college and its importance to a successful future for students.
Once this is understood, students begin to see the relevance and the need for them
to take advantage of these academic opportunities. Students understand that such
opportunities will give them a head start in the competitive world of academia.
The financial barrier has also been removed for these students. Through grants and
waivers, Advanced Placement exam costs and college tuition and books have been
taken care of for the students. The inability to pay the required fees for these
courses is no longer a deterrent for these students. Early on, students are shown
that finances do not have to be an insurmountable hurdle to a higher education. By
taking advantage of the Advanced Placement and college courses, students can
graduate from high school with upwards of 30 college credits. These are credits
their families did not have to pay for. Once students and their parents understand
college and the credit system, these students are much more likely to continue their
education beyond our doors since we have already given them this tremendous
head start.
The fear of failure and the hesitation to take a chance can be great when a student
is unsure about what he or she is getting into. To alleviate some of the students’ anxiety, familiarity is emphasized. These students know their teachers, their peers,
and their environment prior to enrolling in Advanced Placement and college courses,
and are therefore more comfortable in taking chances. This is why trust and solid
student-teacher relationships are so important. While still in the early years of high
school, students develop a rapport with the teachers who offer the advanced
courses. Students see that they can meet the challenges and be successful in the
standard courses, and trust the encouragement of their teachers when they are told
they can meet the standards of the Advanced Placement and college courses.
Students also trust their peers who have taken the challenge before them and have
succeeded. Without the student-teacher relationship and building trust early on,
these second language learners may not have the courage to enroll in these
classes. Once in the Advanced Placement and college classes, students know that
the courses will be rigorous but have developed a confidence in themselves to feel
safe in taking that challenge.
Teachers of the Advanced Placement and college classes are also highly qualified.
A great deal of time is spent on course preparation and professional development in
each of the Advanced Placement and college level courses. Students have
confidence that their teachers are well prepared to help them meet the demands and
the rigor of these challenging courses. It is important to note that the school
district’s support of professional development and training has been crucial in the
expansion of these programs.
The sky is the limit as we continue to cultivate this culture of higher expectations for
students regardless of background, circumstances, or finances. Students are
meeting the challenge and gaining confidence in their ability to go on beyond the
safe surroundings of their high school. High school graduation is no longer the end
goal. Students are seeing graduation as just a beginning to what they can
accomplish, especially since they are leaving high school with more than a diploma,
they have already begun creating a college transcript.
Tamra L. Jackson, college English instructor & AP Psychology teacher
Jeffrey J. Jackson, AP U.S. History teacher
Bridgeport High School
Bridgeport School District
jjackson@bridgeport.wednet.edu
Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
825 Fifth Avenue SE ~ Olympia, WA 98501 ~ (360) 357-9535
www.wsascd.org
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