MacArthur High Students Get Ahead of the Game and Prep for the Future

Disponible en:

Students in Mark Hockman’s class are laughing and collaborating. They recite in unison parts of a calculus equation warm-up they worked on their own to solve. He asks how many students got the correct answer and a number raise their hands. A girl in class makes a half-frustrated gesture. He asks her if she is going to remember how to solve the problem in the future and she responds by letting him know that she will try. Hockman tells her she should not doubt herself but to have confidence. She laughs and says, “OK.”

Hockman and the students exhibit a high level of enthusiasm as they move to another equation to work through and then another.

A walk through the campus leads to Nicholas Dorn’s Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry class. He is explaining and demonstrating gas laws such as kinetic molecular theory and Boyle’s Law to students.

For many students, spending a good portion of their summer in a classroom is not appealing. But that is exactly what these students did. They participated in MacArthur High School’s free summer Pre-AP Calculus and Pre-AP Chemistry courses. Hockman and Dorn are among the educators working with students at the campus during the summer.

Hockman has no issues teaching the summer Pre-AP course. He is on a mission to increase interest in calculus and to help students succeed.

“I like to do this every summer because we become a family,” said Hockman. “You get to know the students well and the kids have fun. By the time they get ready to take the AP test, they have dedicated 30 to 40 hours of after school tutorials. They have bonded together … and it all started in the summer.

[quote]Most of our students are first generation high school and college graduates in their families. This is what really keeps me inspired to keep doing this. This allows students to be successful at the university level.[/quote]

“They are living the American dream. They get to come here and get one of the best educations in the world. We send them to some of the finest institutions throughout the United States.

“They are going to Stanford and Harvard. And not only are they going to these top universities, they are going with their college freshman year complete. And where are they getting their freshman year all done? Right here at MacArthur High School.”

According to Marguerita Guerra, the campus has offered the summer Pre-AP Calculus for 22 years. The campus has offered the Pre-AP Chemistry course for 10 years. Guerra, who serves as an assistant principal at the campus, added that the programs keep expanding each year.

“Back when we first started offering an AP Calculus course, we only had one class of students,” said Guerra. “We sought to expand the program. One of our teachers came up with the idea of offering a summer course. It became a success. We then decided to also offer a Pre-AP Chemistry course. And with each year, we have more students interested and signing up for the courses. Many students signed up for the 2014 summer Pre-AP courses this year. But only more than 100 students finished the six-week courses. And nearly all of these students passed.”

Guerra added that the courses are a great opportunity for students. They can get ahead in their credits as well as prepare themselves for more advanced college-level courses during their junior and senior years of high school.

Pre-AP Calculus student Luis Banda agrees.

“I thought it would be best to advance in my classes instead of sitting around being lazy all summer,” said Banda. “I actually have enjoyed this opportunity.”

Selena Prado and Christian Rennie signed up for the summer Pre-AP Chemistry. They hope to earn college credit while in high school as well as reduce college costs in the future. Students need to [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]score a 3 or higher in AP exams to obtain college credit.

How AP Courses Help Students

[ul class=”list list-arrow_blue”] [li]AP courses are college-level courses taught in high school. Students can take voluntary exams at the end of each course. Students often earn college credit if they score a three or higher on the five-point scale system. This can help them bypass introductory courses once at the college campus. That can give students more time to pursue a double major or a study abroad experience, and less money spent on tuition.[/li] [/ul]

“My parents don’t have a lot of money,” said Prado. “So I took Pre-AP Chemistry in the summer to save them some money later … in college.”

“I took the course to get college credit,” said Rennie. “I also hope to graduate from high school early.” Rennie is interested in robotics engineering.

Debbe Cruz signed up for the Pre-AP Calculus course to prepare for a career in the medical field.

“The math is closely related to science,” said Cruz. “I decided to use my time wisely to prepare for my career.”

Students taking the courses can opt out without hurting their GPA if they aren’t doing well in the six-week summer courses. But the courses are demanding.

“The teachers work with the students to help them manage their time,” said Guerra. “But they make few exceptions for absences. We have some students that may compete in summer events while the courses are underway. The teachers will Skype with the students if necessary. Again, the courses are demanding. Students must dedicate their time to do well.”

Rodrigo Nava stated that the Pre-AP Calculus class pushed him.

“It pushed me to go further than a regular student would,” said Nava. “You only have six weeks, so you have to work harder. The class definitely prepares you for what comes ahead.”

Peer David Alvarado agreed the class improved his study skills.

“Taking this class helped me prioritize my time,” said Alvarado. “I used my own will to come to class. Instead of wasting my summer, this course helped make me a better person.”

“You have to put in a lot of effort and be self-motivated to succeed,” said Paola Solis of her Pre-AP Chemistry course.

Friends Banda and Ricardo Vela want careers in engineering. Both said they have learned a lot from the summer Pre-AP Calculus course.

“If you go back to where we started and where we are now, we have learned a lot,” said Vela. “We didn’t know anything about derivatives or any of that … so we have learned a lot.”

“I recommend this course to others,” added Banda. “Especially if their future jobs include science or engineering. This class could help them advance in those fields.”

When asked if the summer Pre-AP Calculus course was boring, they laughed and simultaneously said “no.”

“Not at all. The teachers were amazing, their teaching styles and their humor were funny,” said Banda.

“The environment was just a good environment,” added Vela.

“It actually made me want to come back,” said Banda.

Pre-AP Chemistry student Paola Solis felt the same way about her summer course.

“I personally find the class fun,” said Solis. “Mr. Dorn taught us in a way that he didn’t just drill it into us. He actually put in real life expectations.”

The Pre-AP Calculus course had a large group but students like Vela, Banda and Cruz found the class met their needs. Students could work in small groups on class tasks and they received individual help when needed.

“I actually gained a lot more confidence taking this course,” said Cruz. “This class is a lot of work but all the classmates are really supportive and if I had a question, the teacher was there. By the second week, I had more confidence in what I was doing.”

The knowledge and skills gained helped Cruz improve her SAT scores. While in the summer program, she took the SAT for a second time and her math scores jumped from her previous results.

“I actually did way better on my SAT math portion than I did the first time I took it,” Cruz said.

Principal Dr. Kristin Craft said this doesn’t surprise her. She stated the school staff is dedicated to building a stronger pipeline of “AP-ready” students through the summer programs for 11th graders as well as incoming 10th graders.

“The Pre-AP and AP courses help more students succeed in rigorous course work and develop knowledge and critical thinking skills they will need in college,” said Craft. “In 2013-2014, we had 710 students that took at least one AP class. That is a 34.98% increase from five years ago.”

[quote]We want to increase access to AP and we want the students to succeed in AP. This is crucial for us because AP is a powerful tool in preparing students to succeed in college.”[/quote]

Craft added that students typically take the AP exams in May. As the test dates approach, it is not unusual to see students and teachers at the campus as late as 7 or 8 p.m. working in groups or tutorials. Many even hold Saturday study sessions.

“We want not only to expose the students to AP course work but also build their self-confidence,” Craft said. “Many students take multiple AP exams. As the test time period approaches, the teachers either plan to work with students or will stagger the review sessions so that the most number of students can attend. Some teachers will hold sessions between 4 and 6 p.m. and others from 6 and 8 p.m. Students want to do well on the exams and put in hours upon hours. We offer students a lot of support. They need to trust that they can pass the exams.”

The students also rely on support from their parents to take the summer courses.

“My parents supported my decision to take the Pre-AP Chemistry course,” said Rajiv Ramnarine. “They felt it would benefit me.” Ramnarine wants to pursue a career as a mechanical engineer.

“My mom is very involved in my education,” said Banda. “She is always asking me about my grades. When I told her I was going to take the summer course, she was proud of me. She said I was being very responsible.”

All agreed that it is a sacrifice. Many of their families go on vacation during the summer while they are in the courses.

“It is hard,” said Vela. “But at the same time we understand that school is more important. It is what will give us an opportunity in the future.”

“My mom has always been very supportive and involved in my education,” said Solis who aspires to be a doctor. “She didn’t get a chance to get an education like me. So for me, school is very important. An education is the key that will open doors in my future.”

It’s the students that inspire Dorn every summer.

“The students that take the summer Pre-AP Chemistry course are not your typical students,” said Dorn. “They are volunteering their time. They are going above and beyond to better themselves. I enjoy the summer course because the students that sign up for the course are scientifically inquisitive. They tend to ask more of the hows and whys, which will help them out in the class and in the future.”

Dorn encourages students to give the summer Pre-AP Chemistry course a chance. He recalled a few students in the past who thought they wouldn’t do well. They ended up passing the course and doing well in the AP Chemistry class.

“I don’t think they would have had as much confidence had they not taken the summer Pre-AP Chemistry class,” said Dorn.

Teacher Clara L. Guerra also gives her time to teach in the summer. She currently teaches at Hambrick Middle School. But she was one of the first teachers that offered the summer Pre-AP Chemistry course at MacArthur High 10 years ago.

“The summer Pre-AP courses are a great opportunity for sophomore students,” said C. Guerra. “And it gives students more options to take AP college-level courses in their junior and senior years. This is especially great for students who want to pursue a medical or science career.”

She recounted the story of a former student, Raul, who graduated as valedictorian of his class. Raul took the summer Pre-AP Chemistry course and discovered his passion for chemistry.

“By taking the summer course, he blossomed,” said C. Guerra. “That fall when he signed up for AP Chemistry, I could see the chemistry going on in his head and how he saw its relevance. He ended up majoring in chemistry at Texas A&M and is currently working as a chemist here in Houston.”

Craft lauds the staff, students and parents for their commitment.

“There is no doubt that the staff have committed themselves to the summer programs and their students,” said Craft. “The fact that they are willing to spend six hours five days a week for six weeks of the summer in class says a lot about our students’ dedication. The teachers are passionate about the programs. And the students have a huge drive to do this. But it also says something about the students’ parents and their support system. We are fortunate to have the support of parents.

“At MacArthur High School, we are committed to developing a strong AP pipeline. We want students to succeed in the AP programs.”

Listen to what teachers and students have to say about the summer Pre-AP courses at MacArthur High School.

[vimeo url=”http://vimeo.com/103431703″ width=”560″ height=”315″]