Tammy Dunn, Robert Summers and I have modified the approach to Saturday Study Sessions (SSS) to meet our primary objective: increase the number of qualifying scores on AP science Exams.
To obtain this objective, we believe the SSS should have two equal foci. The first focus is on the essential content of an AP science course. The second focus is on skills and strategies necessary for success on an AP Exam. This two-fold approach mirrors the best in science teaching. We’re not only asking, “What do students know?” Were also asking, “What can students do?” Your in-class teaching coupled with the Saturday Study Sessions (SSS) should yield the following answer, “Our students can articulate their understanding of science within the parameters of an AP Exam.”
Putting this approach into practice has three components (see below). These components will work together to increase student understanding of an essential topic. In addition, this approach will provide teachers with qualitative data regarding their students’ strengths and weaknesses.
The first component is presenters have a shared responsibility for student learning. In a sense, all presenters will be beholden to one another. Meaning, one presenter will lead a group of students during a content session (e.g. kinetics) in the morning, and another presenter will lead that same group of students in a formative assessment of the content later in the day. Two benefits emerge from this approach. From a pedagogical perspective, the afternoon sessions will reinforce the content from the morning sessions. Pragmatically speaking, this approach streamlines the content being delivered at 15 independent Saturday Study Sessions; and the assessment data gives A+ College Ready some quality control assurance.
The second component is backwards design of presentation materials. All presenters will receive a prepared outline of session content. These outlines will be based on the assessments we will use during the SSS. The assessments will be MCQ from NMSI exams and FRQ from the College Board that best simulate recent AP Exams. Presenters are free to develop content materials (based on our outlines) and use their preferred presentation style to engage students. All presenters will use the same assessments concurrently during the 3rd and 4th sessions. The A+ College Ready program staff will choose the life science (AP Biology and AP Env. Science) assessment questions. We will contract with A+ College Ready teachers to choose physical science (AP Chemistry and AP Physics) assessment questions.
The third, (and perhaps most important) component is an emphasis on student work during the Saturday Study Sessions (SSS). It is unrealistic to think students will be engaged for four content-rich lectures. By requiring students to answer both MCQ and FRQ in real-time, under the guidance of a master teacher, we can engage more students.
The emphasis on student work and formative assessment activities has six positive outcomes. First, students will know their strengths and weaknesses on AP science content. Second, students will know how to articulate themselves to convey their knowledge on an AP Exam. Third, students can take ownership of their content deficits and work to remedy them. Fourth, by collecting the data from the students (% age of MCQ correct, and raw FRQ scores), teachers can modify their instruction to address student weaknesses during the remainder of the year. Fifth, teachers can recalibrate their course the following year to address consistent student weaknesses. Finally, teachers can address these consistent weaknesses with their colleagues at future vertical team meetings.
We are so looking forward to working with your students at the Saturday Study Sessions. We know how much fun they can be. Students enjoy the social aspects of the sessions and we know they enjoy the door prizes. We value your efforts and your students’ efforts. Our aim is to focus that effort and maximize your students’ success on AP science exams.
