Dist. 211 offers summer test prep program

Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 will have a summer program to help students prepare for Advanced Placement exams that could lead to college credit.

This comes after numbers showing more students are taking AP exams across the state but aren't scoring well enough to earn college credit. Despite the state trend, District 211 students continue to score better while more take the tests.

This will be the first time incoming freshmen will be offered such a summer course. The three-week program will focus on social studies, preparing students for AP World History and AP Human Geography. Last year, 1,913 District 211 students took more than 4,000 AP exams, and about the same number took exams in 2008. More than 84 percent scored at least a 3 out of 5, which is usually the score needed to earn college credit.

"We are going to see more students enroll in AP courses in the future because of this opportunity," Superintendent Nancy Robb said.

Numbers released this week show 65 percent of Illinois high school graduates from last year passed their AP exams. That number was 72 percent five years ago. The College Board, which administers the AP tests, attributed the dip to more students taking the tests, including students from low-income backgrounds who may not be adequately prepared.

There are 33 different AP exams, and District 211 offers AP courses in 2-D studio art, studio drawing, biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, literature and composition, language and composition, Spanish, German, French, U.S. history, European history, human geography, economics, statistics, psychology, government and politics, and computer science.

"Participation in Advanced Placement course work is one of the most important ways that our students demonstrate that they are college-ready," said Jeff Butzen, associate superintendent for instruction.