Lynn English kids see college in future

LYNN – With four advanced placement classes on her course load, Devon Robinson is the exception rather than the rule at English High School where Principal Andrew Fila says AP performance is fair.”We’re working on it,” Fila said Thursday before highlighting Merrimack College-bound Robinson as an example of English’ top advanced placement performers.English offers 10 AP classes and while heavy academic hitters like Robinson excel in the hard classes, most students taking the courses score midway in the 1 to 5 scoring range.”We have a few 4s and 5s,” said Vice Principal Thomas Strangie.Students statewide are doing well on AP courses and that is a good indicator of the number of high school students setting their sights on college.The College Board’s fifth annual “AP Report to the Nation,” released Thursday, reports that 20.8 percent of Massachusetts’ public school students in the class of 2008 achieved an AP Exam score of 3 or higher (the score predictive of college success) during their high school years – a larger percentage than most other states in the nation and well above the national average of 15.2 percent.”Massachusetts has had significant success, and I commend educators, administrators and policymakers for their commitment to providing rigorous course work and preparing Massachusetts students to succeed in them.” College Board President Gaston Caperton said.More African American and Hispanic students in the state are participating in AP course work and exams, but these students remain underrepresented in AP and underrepresented among those students scoring 3 or higher. That’s an attitude kids cannot afford to take, says Gov. Deval Patrick, if they have any intention of “competing successfully in the 21st century global economy.”Robinson plans to study biology at Merrimack and the James O’Brien Trust established through the college is helping make that dream possible.Strangie said encouraging students to take advancement placement courses in preparation for college can be tough.”Top kids dive right into it, others take one, or two,” he said.Still, in the past five years, public high schools in Massachusetts have increased the number of students gaining access to and being successful in AP:18,365 students in Massachusetts’ public high school class of 2008 took at least one AP Exam during high school, compared to 17,060 in the class of 2007 and 13,061 in the class of 2003.13,128 students in Massachusetts’ public high school class of 2008 scored 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam during high school, compared to 12,308 in the class of 2007 and 9,419 in the class of 2003.Additionally, 11.6 percent of Massachusetts’ public high school students took at least one AP Exam in science and 12.3 percent took one AP Exam in a math, compared to 8.3 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively, for the nation. Demonstrating a continuing commitment to expand rigorous math and science programs, Massachusetts was one of six states to be awarded a competitive grant in 2007 from the National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit organization that facilitates the enhancement of programs that demonstrate an impact on science and math education.Associated Press material was used in this report.