New AP classes at CFHS draw attention
Monday, October 17, 2011 in Central Falls High School News, District News.
As our students continue to be challenged academically every day, Central Falls High School is always looking for resources, tools and ideas to help our students reach their full potential. The high school has launched four Advanced Placement courses this year: biology, environmental science, calculus and studio art, in addition to our previous AP courses in English, Spanish, government and U.S. history.
Today, The Providence Journal featured CFHS on the front page, covering the new AP courses being offered. The article is available, below:
Central Falls H.S. gets flood of applications for tough courses
By Jennifer D. Jordan
October 17, 2011
CENTRAL FALLS — The 27 students in David Upegui’s Advanced Placement biology class have spent the last six weeks exploring animal behavior, ecosystems and the impact of climate and the biosphere.
Stephanie Espino, a senior at Central Falls High School, discusses a book her English class has been reading. At left is Jennifer Avalos, also a senior. The Providence Journal / Kathy Borchers
Later this week, they will be tested on ecology, one of eight areas they must master to pass the course that many of the students describe as the toughest they have ever taken.
For the first time, AP biology is being offered at Central Falls High School as part of an ambitious expansion of AP courses in a school that historically has not pushed many students toward the highest academic levels.
Upegui was flooded with applications for the class. In the end, he had to turn down several students for space reasons.
His students have struggled to adjust to the rigor of the class and the workload, Upegui says, but are doing well so far.
“They’re capable. It’s, ultimately, about proving to themselves what capacities they have,” Upegui said. “We grow when we are stretched.”
As a state, Rhode Island has lagged in the number of students participating in Advanced Placement courses, particularly among low-income and minority students.
Although research indicates that students who take AP classes are more likely to attend college, just 9 percent of Rhode Island’s students take the challenging courses, according to national data gathered by ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization.
In a June report, ProPublica found that Florida, by contrast, leads the nation with 37 percent of students taking AP classes, including in districts that serve high numbers of low-income students.
More states are starting to follow Florida’s lead.
Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist says she wants to see more Rhode Island high schools offer AP courses.
