Russellville High School Principal Jason Goodwin said the recent Advanced Placement score results for RHS are a clear indication the specialized AP program they have implemented for their students is most definitely paying off.
Goodwin said the school recently received word they had 60 qualifying scores from this year’s AP exams, which was an astonishing 122 percent increase from last year’s 27 qualifying scores.
“A 122 percent increase is absolutely remarkable and is such a win for our students and teachers,” Goodwin said. “This marks the beginning of what I believe will be transformational learning, not only for one group of students in Russellville, but for many years to come. With the level of teaching currently occurring throughout Russellville City Schools and the program implementation in feeder grades, there is no doubt that next year's growth can be just as substantial.”
Advanced Placement is a nationally recognized program under the direction of College Board. According to Goodwin, AP teachers must undergo intensive training and submit a syllabus to College Board for approval. At the conclusion of an AP course, an exam is administered to students and graded on a scale from 1 to 5. An AP exam, unlike other standardized tests like the ACT, focuses solely on the knowledge and skills gained from that particular course and its prerequisites.
“The difficulty level of these exams is extreme,” Goodwin said, “which makes sense since these courses are designed to better prepare students for college-level courses.”
He said the exams are graded by elite AP teachers from across the nation, and a score of three or higher is deemed "qualifying", which means the student has gained the equivalency of college level knowledge and abilities in that particular course. He added that in most instances, students are provided college credit for scoring a three, although some universities require a minimum score of a four in order to obtain credit.
“We are extremely proud of these 60 qualifying scores, but we are equally proud of the number of twos made on the exam and the growth in our AP enrollment numbers,” Goodwin said. “As statistics show, students scoring a two on the AP exam have an overall advantage once they enter college in comparison to students who chose not to take AP courses. This is because they gain such beneficial study habits, skills, and knowledge, which better prepares them for when they leave high school and enter a collegiate setting.”
Russellville City Schools Superintendent Heath Grimes said he was extremely proud of the exceptional results and the students and teachers who worked hard this past year to make these results possible.
“We are so fortunate to have so many dedicated teachers at RCS who truly want to see their students succeed,” Grimes said, “and we are equally as fortunate to have hard working students who are constantly looking toward their future and are striving to meet the high goals they set for themselves.
“Students, teachers, and all involved at Russellville High School have bought in to protecting the educational environment. Students were asked to raise their expectations in Russellville City and the growth in scores proves they accepted this challenge.”
Goodwin agreed that he couldn’t be more proud of the staff and students at RHS for this amazing achievement.
“There was no doubt we would have success this year in our AP classes because of an amazing teaching staff and the hard work of these teachers and our students,” he said. “These results indicate a paradigm shift for the level of education students can receive at Russellville High School if they so choose. So much hard work, time, and focus has been placed on building a program that prepares our students so that when they walk out our doors, we know they are ready for college.”
He added that six of the eight AP classes offered at Russellville High School were double blocked this year, meaning they were given twice the normal class time.
“By doing this, teachers were able to go deeper into their lessons and still cover all of their curriculum,” Goodwin said. “Students had more time to complete in-class assignments enabling immediate feedback from their teachers. This scheduling component and Saturday study session attendance are only a few pieces that illustrate the importance placed on this program and on the overall learning experience at RCS.”
Goodwin and Grimes said they are both excited for the increased enrollment in the AP program at RHS this past year and feel the sky is the limit when it comes to receiving a top-notch education from Russellville City Schools.
“By increasing AP enrollments each year, we are merely exposing more students to a much higher level of instruction, challenging students to write and think more critically, and growing each student to become responsible as they prepare to depart from high school,” Goodwin said.
“We are extremely excited to see future growth as the middle school continues to implement the preparatory courses at the 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels. With students arriving more and more prepared as we move forward, the success in these AP courses will continue to prosper. As exciting as these scores are, I am confident in saying we have not reached anywhere near our potential because we have not yet seen the rewards of our middle school Pre-AP courses.”
Due to the overwhelming growth in qualifying scores and student enrollments, A+ College Ready has selected Russellville High School as the host site for the statewide celebration for Advanced Placement success in September.
"Being selected to host an event of this magnitude is such an honor for our community, our schools, and our teachers and students," Goodwin said. "And to be able to honor the success of our teachers and students alongside the success of other schools throughout the state is exciting."
Goodwin and Grimes both said they hope this level of recognition for the system at an event where the governor and state superintendent of education usually attend will bring renewed excitement about the quality of education students are receiving in Russellville City Schools.
Grimes said the school will also hold their own recognition ceremony this fall during halftime of a home football game to present students and teachers monetary incentives of $100 per qualifying score.
“Once this date is released, we welcome the public's attendance in celebrating our students' and teachers' successes with us,” he said. “Success at our schools should also be viewed as success for our community. This kind of exceptional growth is something our community can and should be extremely proud of. We have so many in our community who continually support our students and teachers, and we are thankful for a community that considers it a privilege to celebrate our victories with us, whether on the field or in the classroom.”
