Monday, January 24, 2011
A Legacy of Luster: A Profile of Theresa Luster
Another story I've wriiten for glossmagazineonline.com
Moving America Forward Obama Rally
A story I wrote for glossmagazineonline.com
Here's the link:
Are AP Classes Teaching up to par?
By Samantha Battle
The Illinois Board of Education put out a statement saying that record numbers of students took the advance placement test but many failed to pass. With this low number, the question of whether students are getting enough practice and information from their schools to feel confident in taking the AP exam is beginning to arise.
Students who take an AP class have to be either recommended, interviewed and cleared by faculty to actually be able to take the class, so just not any student can just take an AP class. The students learn material throughout the whole course of the class to teach and help them leading up to the AP test at the end of the school year. Students also have a choice to take the test or not.
“If you do not take the AP test at the end of the end of the class level, on your transcript, the credit drops to honors, which is essentially a waste of time seeing as it would appear the same on the transcript for a class that isn’t as rigorous,” said Christopher Betts, a senior at King College Preparatory High School taking AP Literature.
According to College Board.com, the fee for each AP exam is $86. This may seem like a lot to a college senior who has graduation fees, college and prom expenses to pay and then to not pass the test lose out on $86. This is why students would hope to be prepared enough from their class and teacher to pass the test. However, some students receive fee waivers, which can be a result of more minority students taking the AP exam.
“I took AP Language and Composition last year and I had a fee waiver for my AP exam so I really didn’t care if I didn’t pass the test, which I didn’t, because I didn’t have to pay for it and I wasn’t wasting out on any of my own money,” said Sydney Neverson, a senior at King College Preparatory High School.
Some students have even admitted to just taking an AP class just to boost up their grade point average. Taking an AP class is two extra credit points than taking a regular or honors class.
“I took an AP course mainly to raise my GPA, so if I don't pass the test, but still get a good grade, I won't feel as though it is entirely a waste,” said Gary Jackson, a senior at King also taking AP Literature.
Advanced placement classes can shave off at least two years of college if used efficiently throughout high school along with preparing students for college. That’s why high school AP teachers want to inclement AP classes to students as early as their freshman year.
“One of our big pushes this year was to align our curriculum to prepare students to succeed in AP level classes, starting from freshman year,” said Jungsun Moon, an AP Literature teacher at King College Preparatory High School. “We’re looking at revamping curriculum especially at the freshman-sophomore level to help develop skills early, as well as introducing them to more intellectually rigorous material so that it’s not a complete shock once they reach their junior and senior years.”
According to the Director of Admissions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Paul Pless, about 80 percent of their incoming freshman has transferring AP credits.
“I think AP credit is very useful and I think that it is better when students use it so they can take more advanced courses in their four years in college rather than using it to graduate in three, Pless said.”
There are other organizations out there that tutor students in their AP classes such as Kaplan and there are many online tutoring companies. Kaplan charges for their services so students would be paying for extra help.
“Many of my classmates have purchased the Princeton review study guides and to my knowledge they look at them periodically,” Betts said.
AP classes are known to be harder than regular and honors classes because technically, they are taught at a college level. AP teachers prepare students throughout the whole course of the class year.
“The entire year is focused on developing skills necessary for success not only the AP test, but in college and in life as well,” Moon said. “We have several free response essays throughout the year, and some multiple choice practice during the second semester, as well as some direct test prep instruction and I regularly meet with students after school to work on reading and writing, as well as Saturday test sessions in April.”
Students feel as though when they don’t understand a certain thing, they can go to their teacher for help but feels that it varies for teachers per AP class.
“I am currently enrolled in two AP courses and I feel that one teacher has prepared me and one has not,” Betts said. “My AP literature teacher has definitely prepared us but in my AP Human Geology AP class, I sadly do not feel prepared.”
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Students Trying to Graduate on Time
By Samantha Battle
Struggling students who may not graduate on time at King College Preparatory High School are doing all they can to accept their diploma with the rest of their classmates in June.
Even if these students take night school along with their regular classes, they won’t have enough time to earn all the credits they need to graduate on time. So students asked Principal, Jeffrey Wright, if they could take an extra class on the weekend to get the credits they need.
At the LSC meeting Feb. 19, Wright brought up the idea that was presented to him by the students. Parent and neighborhood representatives, a student representative and teachers all were shaking their heads in agreement and in interest with what the principal was saying.
"Students came to me and told me that they would rather make up the work and go the extra mile to graduate on time with their classmates instead going to an alternative school and getting out the easy way," Wright said.
Going to an alternative school will let these students that are behind graduate on time because they don’t require as many credits as a college preparatory high school.
The students that are behind failed classes their freshman and sophomore year and now they have to make up those credits in order to have all the credits needed to graduate.
Wright will be paying $200 for each student in the program for these classes out of his own pocket. Wright doesn’t have an exact count on how many students will be taking this class just yet but it is estimated to be about 20 students.
"That’s a lot of classes and a lot of work to do," said Bobie Knight, a vocal teacher who teaches vocal at King College Prep.
The students who want to take this class will be getting Illinois virtual high school credits and Wright will be teaching and chaperoning the classes himself on a day that is convenient for him since he is taking time from his schedule.
"I respect that these students are trying so I don’t mind helping them," Wright said.
According to the Chicago Public High Schools Web site, the Illinois Virtual Program meets individual student and school needs as well as providing options in meeting the No Child Left Behind guidelines.
"CPS Virtual High Schools offer more than 100 online courses at more than 70 high schools and middle schools. Students have demonstrated nearly an 80 percent successful completion rate with over 6,500 students enrolled," according to the Chicago Public Schools Web site.
Students from all schools in this virtual program include regular education students, those who had dropped out of school for a while, those recovering credits, and alternative learners from different Chicago Public High Schools.
Those students who want to benefit from this program will have to sign a contract along with their parents, agreeing to be responsible for paying back the money if they miss a single class.
The cost is $200 per student so if a student misses one class, that student will have to pay $20, two classes $40 and so on.
The class will consist of general subjects such as math, science and English. Students will also be able to work on work from other classes also.
Going to school and night school and then adding another weekend class is a lot of work, but students who want to partake in this program understand that and are willing to take on that extra workload.
"I really want to graduate with my friends that I’ve been with since my freshman year and so I don’t mind doing the extra work," said Taylor Johnson, a senior at King College Prep. "I messed up in the beginning so it’s my responsibility to make up for it."
Struggling students who may not graduate on time at King College Preparatory High School are doing all they can to accept their diploma with the rest of their classmates in June.
Even if these students take night school along with their regular classes, they won’t have enough time to earn all the credits they need to graduate on time. So students asked Principal, Jeffrey Wright, if they could take an extra class on the weekend to get the credits they need.
At the LSC meeting Feb. 19, Wright brought up the idea that was presented to him by the students. Parent and neighborhood representatives, a student representative and teachers all were shaking their heads in agreement and in interest with what the principal was saying.
"Students came to me and told me that they would rather make up the work and go the extra mile to graduate on time with their classmates instead going to an alternative school and getting out the easy way," Wright said.
Going to an alternative school will let these students that are behind graduate on time because they don’t require as many credits as a college preparatory high school.
The students that are behind failed classes their freshman and sophomore year and now they have to make up those credits in order to have all the credits needed to graduate.
Wright will be paying $200 for each student in the program for these classes out of his own pocket. Wright doesn’t have an exact count on how many students will be taking this class just yet but it is estimated to be about 20 students.
"That’s a lot of classes and a lot of work to do," said Bobie Knight, a vocal teacher who teaches vocal at King College Prep.
The students who want to take this class will be getting Illinois virtual high school credits and Wright will be teaching and chaperoning the classes himself on a day that is convenient for him since he is taking time from his schedule.
"I respect that these students are trying so I don’t mind helping them," Wright said.
According to the Chicago Public High Schools Web site, the Illinois Virtual Program meets individual student and school needs as well as providing options in meeting the No Child Left Behind guidelines.
"CPS Virtual High Schools offer more than 100 online courses at more than 70 high schools and middle schools. Students have demonstrated nearly an 80 percent successful completion rate with over 6,500 students enrolled," according to the Chicago Public Schools Web site.
Students from all schools in this virtual program include regular education students, those who had dropped out of school for a while, those recovering credits, and alternative learners from different Chicago Public High Schools.
Those students who want to benefit from this program will have to sign a contract along with their parents, agreeing to be responsible for paying back the money if they miss a single class.
The cost is $200 per student so if a student misses one class, that student will have to pay $20, two classes $40 and so on.
The class will consist of general subjects such as math, science and English. Students will also be able to work on work from other classes also.
Going to school and night school and then adding another weekend class is a lot of work, but students who want to partake in this program understand that and are willing to take on that extra workload.
"I really want to graduate with my friends that I’ve been with since my freshman year and so I don’t mind doing the extra work," said Taylor Johnson, a senior at King College Prep. "I messed up in the beginning so it’s my responsibility to make up for it."
Chicago Public High Schools Getting More Private School Applicants
By Samantha Battle
Many of the public college preparatory high schools in Chicago get thousands of applicants every
year. This year, many of those applicants are coming from private schools because it is getting
expensive for parents that have their kids in private schools.
Many graduating eight-graders and some seventh-graders from private schools are deciding
whether to go to a public school or stay in the private school system, a choice that can be very
difficult because it makes people choose between financial stability and a top-notch education.
"A lot of my friends and I want to go to public high schools after we graduate," said Stacie Webb, a
seventh-grader at St. Columbanus Elementary School, a private Catholic school in the Park Manor
neighborhood. "We are all trying to get into the same high school but half of all our choices are
college preparatory high schools."
According to CPS records, the number of eighth-graders trying to get one of the 3,000 slots in
public college prep high schools has risen 10 percent this spring to 12,857.
During a recession, it could be understandable that parents may not have enough money to
continue to pay for private schools. Some students even want to make it easier on their parents by
suggesting they go to public school when they have spent their whole educational experience in
private school.
“Seeing that my parents have been paying for going on nine years of Catholic schooling I want
them to have a break and my mom loves the fact that I want to go to a public high school,” Webb
said. “She actually wants me to go to a public high school rather than a catholic high school
because she wants me to experience something different rather than what I’m use to. She is
trying to do everything she can to get me into a good public high school.”
According to the Archdiocese of Chicago, average tuition for a Catholic elementary school is
$2,476 and a Catholic high school is $4,500. Fees for public school round out to about $250 for the
whole school year according to the CPS Web site.
King College Preparatory High School in the Bronzeville neighborhood had about 31,000
applicants for the upcoming school year and about 8 percent of those applicants were from private
school, according to Jeffrey Wright, the principal at King. About 10 percent of the students that
were admitted into King for the upcoming school year is from private schools.
"Our goal is to get some of the best students in the city of Chicago to come to King," said Kevin
Tate, the assistant principal at King College Preparatory High School.
"The system is open to anyone who lives in Chicago. Their parents pay taxes for the public schools
regardless of where they choose to send their children for their elementary education," Wright said.
"As long as everyone is given equal access and applies through the same process, with the same
standards, it seems only fair that both public and private school students are given access to the
selective enrollment schools."
The amount of private school applicants is about the same as the public school applicants
according Wright.
Private schools do offer different scholarships to help parents who can’t afford to pay the full tuition
but for some parents, that isn’t enough.
"I would like for my child to stay in the private school system but the money just isn’t there right
now," said Yolanda Ferguson, a stay-at-home mother who has a daughter at Providence St. Mel.
"Even with the scholarships they offer, it’s still hard and you have to qualify for those scholarships."
For now, Ferguson is going to keep her daughter in her current school until she can get into a good
public high school. She is currently applying to some public college prep high schools for the
upcoming school year.
There are difficult potential consequences that some parent’s face when trying to find a public
school for their kids to go to, such as credits not transferring. Also, college preps want students with
high test scores and then there is the possibility of having to choose a less academically rigorous
school and also a school that is not in a safe neighborhood if the student is not accepted into the
college prep school of choice.
Private school curriculum is different from the public school curriculum so if their child is
transferring, there may be a problem in transferring credits because of the difference in curriculum.
"In the catholic school system, we teach religion and it is a part of the curriculum along with
vocabulary, which may not be a part of the curriculum in public schools," said Michele Moore, a
seventh grade Spanish teacher at St. Columbanus. "Students here at our school need to have
taken these classes in order to graduate whereas at a public school, these credit wouldn’t even
count. This goes for the curriculum in private high schools also. My son attended Hales Franciscan
High School for a year and they were required to take religion and vocabulary also."
In order to get into the good college prep high schools that most parents prefer, you have to score
high on the admissions test. Students also have to have the acceptable test scores that the college
preps are looking for in order to qualify to take the entrance exam.
Many of the public college preparatory high schools in Chicago get thousands of applicants every
year. This year, many of those applicants are coming from private schools because it is getting
expensive for parents that have their kids in private schools.
Many graduating eight-graders and some seventh-graders from private schools are deciding
whether to go to a public school or stay in the private school system, a choice that can be very
difficult because it makes people choose between financial stability and a top-notch education.
"A lot of my friends and I want to go to public high schools after we graduate," said Stacie Webb, a
seventh-grader at St. Columbanus Elementary School, a private Catholic school in the Park Manor
neighborhood. "We are all trying to get into the same high school but half of all our choices are
college preparatory high schools."
According to CPS records, the number of eighth-graders trying to get one of the 3,000 slots in
public college prep high schools has risen 10 percent this spring to 12,857.
During a recession, it could be understandable that parents may not have enough money to
continue to pay for private schools. Some students even want to make it easier on their parents by
suggesting they go to public school when they have spent their whole educational experience in
private school.
“Seeing that my parents have been paying for going on nine years of Catholic schooling I want
them to have a break and my mom loves the fact that I want to go to a public high school,” Webb
said. “She actually wants me to go to a public high school rather than a catholic high school
because she wants me to experience something different rather than what I’m use to. She is
trying to do everything she can to get me into a good public high school.”
According to the Archdiocese of Chicago, average tuition for a Catholic elementary school is
$2,476 and a Catholic high school is $4,500. Fees for public school round out to about $250 for the
whole school year according to the CPS Web site.
King College Preparatory High School in the Bronzeville neighborhood had about 31,000
applicants for the upcoming school year and about 8 percent of those applicants were from private
school, according to Jeffrey Wright, the principal at King. About 10 percent of the students that
were admitted into King for the upcoming school year is from private schools.
"Our goal is to get some of the best students in the city of Chicago to come to King," said Kevin
Tate, the assistant principal at King College Preparatory High School.
"The system is open to anyone who lives in Chicago. Their parents pay taxes for the public schools
regardless of where they choose to send their children for their elementary education," Wright said.
"As long as everyone is given equal access and applies through the same process, with the same
standards, it seems only fair that both public and private school students are given access to the
selective enrollment schools."
The amount of private school applicants is about the same as the public school applicants
according Wright.
Private schools do offer different scholarships to help parents who can’t afford to pay the full tuition
but for some parents, that isn’t enough.
"I would like for my child to stay in the private school system but the money just isn’t there right
now," said Yolanda Ferguson, a stay-at-home mother who has a daughter at Providence St. Mel.
"Even with the scholarships they offer, it’s still hard and you have to qualify for those scholarships."
For now, Ferguson is going to keep her daughter in her current school until she can get into a good
public high school. She is currently applying to some public college prep high schools for the
upcoming school year.
There are difficult potential consequences that some parent’s face when trying to find a public
school for their kids to go to, such as credits not transferring. Also, college preps want students with
high test scores and then there is the possibility of having to choose a less academically rigorous
school and also a school that is not in a safe neighborhood if the student is not accepted into the
college prep school of choice.
Private school curriculum is different from the public school curriculum so if their child is
transferring, there may be a problem in transferring credits because of the difference in curriculum.
"In the catholic school system, we teach religion and it is a part of the curriculum along with
vocabulary, which may not be a part of the curriculum in public schools," said Michele Moore, a
seventh grade Spanish teacher at St. Columbanus. "Students here at our school need to have
taken these classes in order to graduate whereas at a public school, these credit wouldn’t even
count. This goes for the curriculum in private high schools also. My son attended Hales Franciscan
High School for a year and they were required to take religion and vocabulary also."
In order to get into the good college prep high schools that most parents prefer, you have to score
high on the admissions test. Students also have to have the acceptable test scores that the college
preps are looking for in order to qualify to take the entrance exam.
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