'Middle School AP Spanish' Allows Students to Earn College Credit

October 10, 2008

More than 400 eighth grade students at five middle schools have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language Exam, as participants in Plano ISD’s Middle School AP Spanish program, achieving an 85 percent eligibility rate for college credit. Greta Lundgaard, foreign language curriculum coordinator, presented these and other statistics to the school board on October 7.

“Plano ISD launched the Middle School AP Spanish program in 2004 to increase academic achievement of native or heritage Spanish speakers,” said Ms. Lundgaard. “The program offers traditionally lower-performing students with means to engage in accelerated, rigorous courses and AP tests in a nonthreatening environment.”

The program emphasizes development of academic language, study skills, critical reading, critical and analytical writing and thinking processes required to demonstrate achievement on the AP exam.

"The program’s students have also demonstrated success on the state-mandated TAKS tests regardless of their CogAT or MAP scores,” said Ms. Lundgaard. “The program offers evidence of good habits of mind, student and teacher efficacy and increased development of cognitive abilities.”

The program has also resulted in increased numbers of Hispanic students enrolling in high school honors and pre-AP courses and even more extra-curriculum courses.

For more detailed information, read this description of Plano ISD's Middle School AP Spanish Program.