Some of the toughest classes in high school — Advanced Placement courses — are usually filled mostly by white and Asian students. But not at Columbia Heights High School.
A conscious effort to draw more black, Latino and American Indian students into the school's most advanced classes is bearing fruit.
This spring, the district captured a College Board AP District of the Year award. Columbia Heights had the largest growth for its size in the U.S. and Canada in access to AP classes among diverse student populations and in performance, said Trevor Packer, senior vice president for the College Board's AP program.
The school's recognition comes at a time when AP involvement is skyrocketing and pressure is mounting for more students to join the ranks of the college-bound high-achievers. The number of students participating in AP classes in Minnesota continues to climb, more than doubling over the past 10 years, from almost 19,000 in 2005 to nearly 43,000 in 2015, according to the College Board.
There are those who oppose expanding the roster in AP classes. They say schools are pressing students who aren't ready into a school's most advanced classes. But at Columbia Heights, as the number of students of color taking classes has grown, scores have risen.
Teachers and administrators at Columbia Heights High said they started opening access to AP classes three years ago, by recruiting bright students who may not always ace the AP exam.
Theirs is a formula of encouragement, and the knowledge that students gain confidence and skills from AP, regardless of their final scores. Teachers organize study sessions while working around student schedules, including summer boot camp.
Once students get past the anxiety, the benefits of enrolling in AP are no-brainers: Students who earn a score of 3 or higher (out of 5) on AP exams have chances to get college credit. Higher scorers typically make higher GPAs in college and are more likely to graduate within five years, the College Board reported.