College-Level Courses Offered To More Hillsborough High Schools

TAMPA, FL — Thousands of Hillsborough County Public Schools students will be offered new accelerated, college-level courses when they return to school in the fall.

Hillsborough County Public Schools announced the expansion of the Cambridge and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program to 13 additional high schools and one additional middle school beginning in August. AICE is part of the Cambridge Pathway which allows students to earn an international diploma by taking advanced academic courses and passing exams administered by the University of Cambridge in England.

Passing AICE course exams qualifies students for college credit and earning an AICE diploma by meeting established requirements and completing 100 community service hours earns them Bright Futures scholarships.

“This is a game changer for our district and our students. AICE exposes students to high-level courses and affords them the opportunity to earn up to 30 college credits," Superintendent Addison Davis said. "Expanding the acceleration opportunities across the district will ensure inclusivity for all students, further pushing their cognitive demands. These courses demonstrate a highly sought-after educational pathway for our learners, and we expect to expand into more schools for the 2023-24 school year."

Currently, Hillsborough County Public Schools has four schools – one high school and three middle schools – that offer the Cambridge program. At the high school level, the program offers AICE and Pre-AICE courses and, in middle school, staff implements the Cambridge Lower Secondary curriculum.

For the 2022-23 school year, the following schools will offer Cambridge/AICE:

• Brandon High School
• Blake High School
• Chamberlain High School
• East Bay High School
• Freedom High School
• Jefferson High School
• King High School
• Leto High School
• Middleton High School
• Plant City High School
• Riverview High School
• Spoto High School
• Wharton High School
• Shields Middle School Current Schools Offering Cambridge/AICE
• Sumner High School
• Rodgers Middle School
• Ferrell Middle School
• Franklin Middle School

AICE courses allow students who may not have previously challenged themselves to do so through courses like English General Paper and electives such as AICE Drama, Physical Education and Travel and Tourism, to name a few.

During the AICE examinations in spring 2021, Sumner High School administered 977 AICE exams. Of those exams, 748 (76.5 percent) received a score of A-E, qualifying students for potential college credit. For the 2021-22 school year, Sumner High School has 1,187 students enrolled in at least one AICE course and expects to administer 2,474 examinations.

AICE courses are college-level courses similar to International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses. Hillsborough County Public Schools will continue to offer International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement courses, Dual Enrollment, as well as additional accelerated options that can lead to industry certifications for students.