AP classes are a growing trend in schools

It was barely 8 a.m. Monday and 25 students in teacher Ben Westphal's Brookfield East biology class were busy at computers and a Smart Board analyzing the growth patterns and density of grasshoppers in a virtual field trip.

This was not just any biology class. It's Advanced Placement, a label put on curriculum that helps students earn credit toward college and a pathway to a desired career.

Student motives

"This class is important to me because I plan to have a medical career," said Preston Powers, a senior.

Sophomore Archit Basharan said he is taking as many AP classes as possible.

"It has become a very competitive situation, to see how many of these classes you can take," Basharan said.

Westphal, a 10-year Elmbrook teacher and eight years into teaching AP biology, said he has felt the increased interest in courses that help students gain valuable college-level credit.

Teacher's view

"I have seen enrollment grow, but it has remained consistent over recent years," Westphal said. "The students in this class and other AP level classes I teach are looking for the credit and the challenge.

"The basic difference in AP compared to honors or regular classes is that there is a lot more information to absorb and understand. It is the depth and the breadth of the subject that is so different."

He supported the notion that AP students, who need to not only complete the courses, but also successfully pass College Board exams to earn credit, are naturally competitive.

Parental interest

That competitive element has reached parents. On a recent Thursday morning, more than 40 parents showed up for what was advertised as a district chat. The program covered the transition from middle school to high school and how this year's initiation of block scheduling - in which classes are now 90 minutes long - changes the strategy of getting into all the AP courses desired.

Most parent questions involved the logistics of getting their students into key classes that match their interests as well as college and career goals. Several district officials emphasized that while parents need to be aware of their students' AP interests and goals, it is up to students to take the lead.

That sentiment was echoed by Laura Schmidt, a parent who is a past president of the district's Parent Advisory Board.

"Kids have the ability to know when they are interested in a subject and if they can handle an AP course," Schmidt said. "As a parent, there's a fine line between supporting and leading too much. It's really about guidance.

"Also, it's important to know there is a balance in how much a student can handle and what they should be doing as a student," she said. "They should enjoy school academically and socially."

Logistical challenges

Two factors make juggling multiple AP classes more challenging than ever. One is the physical education requirement that sometimes needs to be squeezed into a summer program at a less-desired 7:30 a.m. start. The other challenge is successfully testing for college credit in the new era of block scheduling.

Block scheduling means students now will have completed a condensed version of the course in the fall and need to wait several months before College Board exams. The other scenario is that a condensed spring course will end after the exam. The district plans to provide study groups and online reviews to help in either situation.

Opportunity, finances and family

Parent Libby Wistrom said she wants her three boys - still in elementary and middle school - to have the same opportunity she, her husband and other family members have in getting into the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She said she is interested in the AP curriculum "because you don't want your children to miss out on the opportunities to go where they want to go simply because you don't know about them.

"It's so difficult to get in, even if you are at or near the top of your high school graduating class," Wistrom said. "We want our boys to go to Madison. We already figure on a budget of $40,000 per year per person, but it's better than going to a private school. We also want them to stay in state. We figure that if they go off to another state and meet someone, they are likely to live somewhere else, so that's part of what we think about, too."

Predicted growth

Melanie Stewart, Elmbrook's director of assessment and student learning, said the district's AP courses have grown from six in 1991 to 21 today.

"AP is more popular today and we expect that it will be for the foreseeable future," Stewart said. "Students want them, parents want them and as long as the curriculum continues to open doors for our students, we will provide them."