Boost AP and IB Success with this Simple Strategy: Start Early 

By Brennan LaBrie

School leaders are always looking for ways to boost success in their advanced courses – especially for first-time takers.  

One major blocker for these students, especially those from historically underserved backgrounds, is trepidation about the rigor of courses like AP, IB and dual enrollment.  

Our partner schools have found creative strategies to engage and support new advanced course students, and one thread connects them all: Starting early.  

These schools introduce students to the courses they will be taking before the school year begins, giving them the chance to meet their new teachers and get a taste of the rigor they will soon take on.  

These engagements smooth the transition into AP and IB courses by:

• Giving students a clear sense of what to expect, from academic rigor to classroom culture. 

• Helping parents understand how they can support their child through this new challenge.  

• Creating early opportunities for students and teachers to build the kind of strong, trusting relationships that are essential in advanced coursework. 

When students walk into their AP or IB classroom feeling prepared for the curriculum and comfortable with the person teaching it, they are far more likely to thrive.  

Below, we highlight three EOS partners who are setting new AP and IB students up for success early.

At Park City HS, New AP Students “Dream Big”

Park City’s “Dream Big” program helps prepare first-generation students for advanced courses by allowing them to meet their teachers and preview curriculum in a summer intensive. They are then supported in these classes throughout the year.  

The program was started by Melanie Moffat, an English language learner teacher who noticed that many Latinx students were not taking AP classes. She launched Dream Big with the goal of bringing more students – and Latinx and English language learning students in particular – into AP classes.  

This program allows students to grow comfortable not only with rigorous curriculum, but with the person teaching it. The teacher, in turn, gets a head-start on learning their new students’ learning styles, personalities, and needs. This is a crucial step in becoming a trusted adult for that child. Learn more about how trusted adults transform student outcomes here.  

Roger Arbabi, principal of Park City HS, points to Dream Big as a major contributor to the school’s strides in increasing academic opportunities for all students. Eighty six percent of PCHS’ first-generation students enrolled in college last year, said Arbabi, who won 2024 Utah Principal of the Year largely due to his work bridging achievement gaps at PCHS.

Student and Teacher Meet and Greets at Seneca Valley HS

Last year, leaders at Seneca Valley High School in Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools gave their teachers and students an early boost on AP and IB classes before classes let out for summer.  

They held an AP and IB teacher meet and greet during lunch at the end of the school year, offering students and teachers the chance to learn about each other. Afterwards, students filled out a survey, sharing their feelings about the rigor they’d soon take on. 

“It was awesome to hear that our students were both nervous and excited!” said Kim Becraft, Middle Years Program Coordinator and 2024-25 EOS Opportunity Champion.

Events like this help promote a sense of belonging for new AP and IB students, which leads to higher enrollment, retention and success in these classes. 

Becraft and her team have leveraged strategies like this to significantly boost enrollment in AP and IB courses, adding 249 students from the EOS outreach list in 2023 – a 19% increase from the year prior. SVHS’ population of underserved students enrolled in AP/IB now sits at 66%. 

A Year-Round Approach at Uniondale UFSD 

Our partners at Uniondale Union Free School District on Long Island give their new AP students and their families a few chances to prepare for their upcoming classes. 

In the Spring, they host an AP reception for parents and students, allowing parents to understand course content and expectations, and giving parents tips on how to support their child. 

During the summer, the school invites an organization to campus to teach incoming AP students essential tools for success in rigorous courses, such as notetaking, studying, and time management skills.  

They also launched an AP Student Ambassador program, “AP is U,” in which students spread awareness of AP courses and encourage other students to enroll through presentations, school fairs, posters, and an Instagram page. 

“AP is U essentially changing the narrative of who gets to be in an AP class,” said David Hollander, Uniondale UFSD’s Social Studies Director and a 2024-25 EOS Opportunity Champion.

In 2024, Uniondale increased AP enrollment for targeted 10th-12th grade students from 25% to 32%. Male students of color, who the district prioritized in its AP enrollment goals, saw the biggest boost. 

Learn how EOS helps high schools boost enrollment and success for all students in advanced courses.

Brennan LaBrie helps amplify the work, mission, and impact of the EOS team and our partners across the education landscape. With a background in local journalism, he seeks to share the stories of individuals and organizations driving impact in their community and beyond.