In the beginning, Snohomish High School senior Nick Perry took Advanced Placement courses to boost his college prospects.
“Now, it’s more that I would be bored out of my mind if I didn’t,” said the 18-year-old, who filled five of his six class slots this year with the college-level courses.
Advanced Placement is among the fastest-growing programs in U.S. high schools, and particularly so in Washington. The program, run by the New York-based College Board, can earn students college credit if scores on optional tests are high enough.
In all, the number of students taking the special exams in Washington rose 76 percent in the past five years, compared with a 43 percent increase nationally, according to College Board numbers.
Among local high schools, the number of Advanced Placement courses has more than doubled.
The growth of the advanced courses is attributed to many factors.
Washington state has heavily promoted it. As a national program, it is widely recognized by colleges. Research has shown students who take the advanced classes are more likely to attain a bachelor’s degree.
Besides Advanced Placement, other programs are offered.
There is College in the High School – college-level courses taught by high-school teachers with help from college instructors – and International Baccalaureate, a program similar to Advanced Placement that focuses on rigor across disciplines. Edmonds-Woodway is the only Snohomish County school to offer the latter program.
Then there are the more traditional honors and advanced courses, industry certifications and Running Start, in which students attend local community colleges full- or part-time.
“If you don’t expand the options on that top-end, you create a ceiling,” said Terry Edwards, Everett’s executive director of curriculum.
As on-campus options grow, the result in some districts has been a drop-off in Running Start students. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, for example, has just 50 such students compared with 120 in 2001-02 after raising its roster of advanced courses from two to 10.
That’s a good sign to Todd Aagard, a Mill Creek parent who advocates for Advanced Placement and other challenging courses in all Everett schools. There’s a misconception that the classes are only for highly capable students, he said.
In reality, the courses are good for any student looking to get their feet wet before college, while retaining the benefits of a small class, familiar faces and a full year to learn, he said. “Oh, and by the way, it’s free. … Why wouldn’t you want to do it?”
In fact, with universities becoming increasingly crowded, college-bound students may not have a choice.
Grades from college-preparatory courses, including Advanced Placement, are the top factor in college admissions decisions, according to a 2003 survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Participation in the classes definitely draws colleges’ attention, agreed Philip Ballinger, director of admissions at the University of Washington.
The key for students is to see what they do in high school as preparation for college, he said.
“Whether it’s AP, or it’s International Baccalaureate, or it’s taking a fourth year of math, or it’s taking more foreign language, whether it’s taking extra science – (the important thing is) to see that as extra preparation, so they can do better and make a good transition to college.”
Melissa Slager and Eric Stevick are reporters for The Herald in Everett.
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