24th Annual Advanced Placement Summer Institute Begins

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Enrollment Services at the University of Arkansas will welcome 159 teachers and 11 consultants to the 24th annual Advanced Placement Summer Institute starting this week.  

The Summer Institute will offer professional development opportunities to middle and high school teachers to enhance their teaching skills for Advanced Placement courses. Teachers from across the state and the region will be trained in 11 AP subjects throughout the week.  

“Advanced Placement teacher training is a key component in AP course delivery across the country, and we are pleased to provide this support to the teachers in our state and area.” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. “The University of Arkansas deeply values the exceptional instruction these teachers provide as well as the incredible results of their labors.  Each year, we award more than 25,000 hours of AP and IB credit to incoming students, and we know that these students are prepared to succeed in rigorous college course work.” 

This year will mark the first time that APSI has been held in-person at the U of A campus since July 2019. In both 2020 and 2021, the training shifted to a virtual format in light of concerns surrounding COVID-19.  Being back in person will allow for a more robust set of training sessions and activities for teachers including a reception hosted by the Honors College in Gearhart Hall on Wednesday night.  Amanda Peebles, the program advisor for Gifted Programs and Advanced Placement, from the Arkansas Department of Education, will also be on hand to welcome teachers to the institute.

“We are so pleased to have the Summer Institute back in person this year,” said Emily Wright, associate director for APSI and the office of nationally competitive awards. “Inviting AP teachers to spend time on campus is a wonderful way to share what the University can offer their students.” 

During the week-long APSI, 11 consultants will serve as “super” teachers, sharing best teaching practices for instructing high school students who are taking Advanced Placement courses. They will provide 30 hours of instruction, and participating teachers will receive professional development credit for their work. Each consultant is endorsed by College Board.

This year’s AP consultants will conduct sessions in the following areas: 

·       Lisa Baker (from Wilburton, Okla.), English literature and composition for experienced teachers

·       Maridella Carter (Blue Spring, Mo.), English literature and composition for new teachers

·       Matt Cone (Plano, Texas), U.S. history

·       David Ferris (Noblesville, Ind.) statistics, Noblesville, Ind. 

·       Marjorie Hunter (Marion) world history

·       Matt Pedlow (Chelsea, Mich.) economics – macro and micro

·       Bernie Phelan (Barrington, Ill.), English language and composition for experienced teachers 

·       Katie Stueart (Fayetteville) English language and composition for new teachers 

·       Dickie Thomasson (Fayetteville) calculus AB

·       Marshall Welch (Alpena) biology

·       David Wentz (Fayetteville) chemistry 

Enrollment Services received a $170,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education to support the 2022 Summer Institute. The grant enables the U of A to provide Arkansas public school teachers who teach AP or Pre-AP with funding to cover the cost of registration. The Department of Education also supports two other Summer Institutes in the state at Arkansas State University and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.