CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 200 teachers are back in the classroom this week. They’re taking part in the West Virginia Center for Professional Development’s Advanced Placement Summer Institute taking place this week at Capital High School in Charleston.
Karen Linville, the director of AP Programs, said in the last decade the institute has blossomed. Back in 2004 they were averaging fewer than 100 teachers per institute and only had classes available for four or five subjects. Fast forward to today and Linville said there’s a big change.
“This week we are providing 19 AP classes, 4 pre-AP classes and we have just over 200 teachers participating this week alone,” Linville said.
The summer institutes will serve more than 2,000 teachers across West Virginia.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of teachers who have never taught AP who are coming. They might not be teaching AP currently. They’re looking at what they might be doing in a few years.”
Linville said a lot of that has to do with continuing to expand the programs they offer. For the first time, pre-AP classes are on the agenda.
“It’s a way for the teachers to get the students accustomed to what’s expected in AP so when they get to AP. They have a higher success rate because they’ve been doing that all along,” explained Linville.
Those pre-AP classes will be available for students in 6-12 grade.
The institute got underway on Tuesday and runs through Friday.