300 Teachers to Attend UA Advanced Placement Summer Institute

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - This week the University of Arkansas Honors College will host more than 300 teachers from the state and region for the university's sixth annual College Board approved Advance Placement Summer Institute. The institute provides a week of training for Advanced Placement teachers, who will receive more than 30 hours of instruction. The intensive program will feature 16 "super teachers," from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina and California, who will instruct teachers on how to help student get the most out of their Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Advanced Placement is essential to our mission of recruiting and retaining the state's high-ability students," said Suzanne McCray, Associate Dean of the Honors College. The U of A accepts more AP credit than any other institution in the state of Arkansas and energetically recruits students who participate in these programs. "We know that students coming in with Advanced Placement credit will thrive in the college classroom. They will have greater freedom to include second and third majors. They have more flexibility when studying abroad and more time for undergraduate research. The University of Arkansas is excited about partnering with teachers across the state and region to increase these important opportunities for our young people."

Each year entering freshman bring nearly 1,000 hours of AP credit to the university. Honors College Fellow Caleb Stein, a chemical engineering major and Bodenhamer Fellow, earned a U of A record of 61 hours of credit, making him a junior his first year on campus. David Deitz, a biochemistry major and Sturgis Fellow, brought 58 hours of credit (most of them honors hours) with him to campus. He is a national AP Scholar and will address the teachers at a plenary session.

The courses offered include biology, calculus AB, chemistry, computer science, English language and composition, English literature, Pre-AP high school English, Pre-AP middle school English, Pre-AP high school math, Pre-AP middle school math, Pre-AP science, psychology, statistics, U.S. history, and government and politics

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Suzanne McCray, associate dean, University of Arkansas Honors College, (479) 575-4883; smccray@uark.edu