Teens: Broaden AP access

Albany

A group of Albany High School seniors made their rounds at the state Capitol on Wednesday to press lawmakers to expand funding for access to rigorous coursework in high school.

It is the fourth year that Sean Fitzsimons brought students from his Advanced Placement government class to gain firsthand experience with the legislative process and advocate for state funds to maintain the school’s extensive offerings and offset hefty fees associated with AP exams.

“Remember, elected officials work for you,” Fitzsimons told the students huddled outside the legislative office of Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem.

In addition to eight students from Albany High and another group from Ballston Spa High School, the advocacy effort organized by the College Board recruited high school students from across the state to share how advanced classes have enriched their high school experiences.

Christine La, an Albany High senior who moved to the district from Thailand when she was 10, started out as an English as a New Language student in her freshman year. She said participating in advanced coursework has improved her confidence and expanded her social circle and opportunities.

“There are amazing teachers at Albany High that encourage students to step out of their comfort zone, which was amazing for me,” La said. “For example, in my government class, we talk a lot. It actually helps me as an ENL student to feel free to express myself.”

Experts say AP courses and International Baccalaureate programs, which enable students to earn college credit in high school, improve critical thinking skills and are a key indicator of future academic success. However, across the state, minority and low-income students are underrepresented in more rigorous classes, particularly in math and sciences.

Even among students who scored proficient in math in seventh-grade, those who were low-income or students of color were less likely than their peers to be enrolled in an advanced math class in ninth grade, according to a statewide analysis released by the New York Equity Coalition in January.

Statewide, in 2018-19, enrollment in advanced math was 22 percent higher for math-proficient students who are not low-income compared to math-proficient students who are low-income, the coalition’s “Proficient but Passed Over” report found. Enrollment among proficient white students was 16 percent higher than it was among their black peers who were also proficient and 20 percent higher for white students compared to their Latino peers who were also proficient.

In some classes at Albany High, the lack of representation can be stark, students said. A 2018 study found that white students are four times more likely than black students and 12 times more likely than Latino students to be enrolled in calculus at Albany High. In the rest of the state, white students are three times more likely than their black peers and twice as likely as Latino students to take calculus.

Nearly half of students are black and 17 percent are Latino at the Capital Region’s largest school system. The Albany district officials note that the school system has unique challenges. About 11 percent of the students in Albany schools are immigrants or refugees, and 75 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. A total of 57 languages are spoken in the district.

Leah Evans, Albany High School’s AP/IB coordinator, was hired in February of last year to develop outreach to students about the availability of rigorous coursework at the high school.

The district offers 20 AP courses, about nine IB classes and 22 “University in the High School” courses provided through partnerships with local colleges and universities. Every student, regardless of academic standing, is encouraged to take at least one advanced class, according to Evans. This year, Evans said, she has made a point to visit classrooms before students meet with their guidance counselors to set their academic schedules for the year. She has also started to approach students and their families at the middle school level.

“Every student is an individual, so it’s really about finding out what the barrier is, be it academic, be it social-emotional, be it their friends aren’t taking these classes,” Evans said. “It’s building self-confidence and building family buy-in.”

Not all schools in the region offer advanced coursework, and among those that do, there are often academic requirements that discourage participation. Albany High opens its AP classes to all students, and officials say AP and IB enrollment at the school has grown in recent years. However, the exam fees, which are $90 each, continue to pose a barrier, particularly for students who want to take multiple classes.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s executive budget proposed an additional $1.8 million — $5.8 million total — to subsidize AP and IB exam fees for thousands of low-income students across the state. The budget also provides $1 million in grants to support school districts and BOCES that wish to provide advanced courses and do not currently do so or otherwise do so only on a very limited basis.

Breslin told the 12th graders that the Senate and Assembly plan to ask for a larger increase in funding to support access to more advanced coursework.

“You guys are challenging me,” Breslin said. “Hearing these stories is the best way for me to learn.”

@ Rachel.Silberstein timesunion.com • 518-454-5449 • @RachelSilby