Plymouth North High School and Plymouth South High School Joining Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English Program

  

Plymouth North High School and Plymouth South High School are now participating in Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English Program, which encourages more students to take AP classes in effort to increase their confidence while providing them with the academic skills they need to succeed in post-secondary education. The AP Stem and English program is a key part of Mass Insight Education’s innovative College Success Campaign. The AP STEM and English program is funded through a combination of state, district and philanthropic support. Annually, more than 10,000 students at more than 75 Mass Insight Education partner schools take part in the program. These schools quickly double or triple their enrollment in AP classes and double the number of students earning qualifying scores of three or higher on the AP exam. Mass Insight Education is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving student achievement and increasing college success through bold district restructuring and rigorous academic programs.

“If you give students who are generally not considered a shot at this level of work and you provide them with the support they need, they too can demonstrate outstanding achievement,” says Michael Contompasis, Mass Insight Education executive chairman and former superintendent of the Boston Public Schools.

Each year, Mass Insight Education adds high schools to its roster. The partner schools underwent an evaluation and have committed to the program goals of increasing both the number of students taking AP classes and the number of students getting a qualifying score.

“I think anytime we can provide extra support that’s new and exciting and challenging to students, we welcome that opportunity,” says Principal Kathleen McSweeney of Plymouth North high School. “ I think the AP gives students a rigorous academic experience that equates with the rigor of college. They will be more prepared for the intensity of college work.”

Mass Insight Education supports its AP students in several ways, including hosting a series of weekend classes to help them better prepare for their AP exams. The experience of taking an AP class shows the students the level of work they will need to do in college and inspires many to enroll in college who previously thought themselves incapable of that work. Getting a qualifying score earns them college credit, thus allowing them to finish college quicker at a lower cost. Statistics show that 78 percent of MIE students who took at least one AP math, science or English course in high school attended a two or four year college after graduating high school. Ninety three percent of them persisted through two years of college and 82 percent either graduated or are still in school four years after graduating from high school. Mass Insight Education also provides extra training for AP teachers to strengthen their skills to make them even better teachers.

Attending college is more important than ever for today’s youth. Seventy percent of all jobs will require a college degree by 2020. Those who graduate with at least an associate’s degree have the ability to earn $42,000 annually, while those with a high school diploma or the equivalent earn on average $21,000. In Massachusetts, that puts them below the poverty line. Each additional year it takes to earn a degree can cost a student thousands of dollars. If they fail to finish college, they leave with debt and diminished earning potential. Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program gives its students the experience and skills necessary to succeed in college, thus empowering them to benefit both themselves and their communities for years to come.