This article examines Advanced Placement Human Geography (AP HG) in the context of its place in efforts to reform geography education. It presents a critical analysis of the AP program and its curriculum, asserting that it represents "powerful knowledge" as conceptualized by Young. It concludes with a call for research in AP HG aligned…

Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography faced a number of hurdles that nearly derailed the course before it launched in 2000-2001. A dedicated cadre of geography professionals and high school teachers rose to the challenge and the course remains one of the fastest growing AP courses currently offered by College Board. Seventeen readers and leaders…

Economic geographers have traditionally concerned themselves with the primary and secondary sectors of the economy. As the world becomes more service-oriented, however, as much attention must be paid to the service economy and the role of technology. This article focuses on deindustrialization and the rise of the contemporary service--and…

Advanced high-school courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the United States, present a content selection conundrum of major proportions. Judicious content selection is necessary if students are to learn subject matter meaningfully, but the sheer breadth of tested material in these courses promotes nearly the opposite:…

The most promising intervention for improving learning and reducing academic gaps in outcomes is present in every classroom: the "teacher". Teachers empowered to create relationship-centric, supportive classroom and school cultures, combined with rigorous academics, produce breakthrough results for their students. Three nonprofits'…

Over the past decade, the field of teacher professional learning has coalesced around core characteristics of high quality professional development experiences (e.g. Borko, Jacobs, & Koellner, 2010. Contemporary approaches to teacher professional development. In P. L. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), "International encyclopedia…

Development of benchtop, portable Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectrometers has opened up opportunities for creating university-high school partnerships that provide high school students with hands-on experience with NMR and IR instruments. With recent changes to the international baccalaureate chemistry…

The authors, pioneers in detracking and in shrinking achievement gaps, pose a question: Is it possible to have all students in a large high school successfully complete a challenging curriculum that gives them practice in the habits and skills necessary for success in college? The answer, they say, "is a resounding yes." This article…

As a superintendent of the Bellevue School District, the author discusses the Bellevue School District's curriculum and its ongoing development. The mission of the Bellevue School District is to give every student the kind of education traditionally reserved for America's elite class or, stated another way, to give every student a first-rate,…

Distressed with their district's lackluster performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, staff at Oklahoma City Schools reviewed the program and decided the curriculum was not challenging or motivating enough for students. They then developed and implemented a vastly improved AP program initiative that provided teacher incentives, staff…

Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) has grown steadily from 3,272 tests at the first test administration in 2001 to 14,139 tests in 2005. This paper examines the dynamics of growth throughout the United States through numbers of students and numbers of high schools involved in the program. APHG is discussed relative to the establishment of…

The superintendent claims an advanced placement (AP) European history course was eliminated and an AP course in comparative government was added to provide a little more coherence, not to create a multicultural approach. A parents' committee claims they formed over the issue of academic rigor, not multiculturalism. (MLF)

A plan for the academic magnet high school (AMHS) program offered by the Charleston County (South Carolina) School District is presented in this report. A program overview describes general goals for students, which would emphasize thinking skills in all academic core areas, problem-solving skills in mathematics and research-based science,…

This practicum was designed to increase student exposure to literature enrichment opportunities, to further develop student understanding and appreciation of literature, and to intensify the long-lasting effects of literature study and enrichment. A diverse literature enrichment program was designed and was presented to the 35 students enrolled in…

Refutes the assertion by W. Lichten (2000) that increased access to advanced placement (AP) courses in high school has led to a decline in AP quality. Suggests that increased access exposes students to college-level course material, encourages teachers to expand their knowledge domains, increases curriculum rigor, and give students new challenges.…