Long Beach BOE Talks AP, IB Classes

A team of administrators provided a report on college-level courses offered at Long Beach High School during a recent Board of Education meeting.

Approximately 50 college-level courses are available for high school students, falling under the categories of International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment. District administrators described these opportunities and their benefits.

The more challenging courses expose students to a higher level of rigor and pace that can help prepare them for the college environment. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in particular emphasizes a service-learning component beyond academics. Overall, students in college-level courses are able to build upon study strategies, time-management tactics and many additional skills.

The number of students participating in college-level courses has increased during the past four years, with 585 students in grades 10-12 currently enrolled in at least one college-level course. This includes more than 70 percent of both the junior and senior classes.

Success rates on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams have increased significantly as well. The number of students scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam combined with the number earning a 4 or higher on an IB exam has more than doubled since the 2010-2011 school year.

A number of other courses, such as Computer Repair, Psychology, Animal Science and the college credit-affording Materials and Design course enable students to explore areas of specific interest. While they are not all necessarily college level, courses such as these can help students understand fields of study they might wish to pursue in the future.

“One of the goals here is to look at providing capstone experiences or college-level courses for all students,” Superintendent Dr. David Weiss said. “That’s the piece that is different. More inclusive programs give all students the opportunity to move forward and push to higher levels of achievement.”

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