By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



The Gardendale Education Committee had a strong turnout last week for its first meeting under new chairman Dr. Melanie Crook.

In addition to committee members, there were principals, PTA members and teachers from Gardendale High, Bragg Middle and Gardendale, Mt. Olive and Snow Rogers elementary schools. Also present was Jefferson County Board of Education member Karen Smith Nix.

Guest speaker at the monthly meeting was June M. Houge, Jefferson County Education AP (advanced courses) grant coordinator.

Houge explained the AP grant that Gardendale High School has received, and the importance of AP courses for students who are going to college.

Gardendale High School was recently one of 12 high schools in Alabama selected to receive the grant.

According to Houge, GHS will receive more than $627,000 over the next five years to incorporate the AP program.

The total grant for all eight Jefferson County Schools accepted will total $5.4 million over five years.

The funds are part of a grant to the state of Alabama from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).

The funding will launch A+ College Ready, a program to increase student participation in AP courses and performance on AP exams in math, science and English.

GHS gets its initial funding beginning the next school year.

“I have to commend Dr. Vacca and her staff for the plan they put together,” said Houge at the meeting. Dr. Anna Vacca is the principal at GHS.

Houge said that in college, there is a 50-percent survival chance of students who did not take AP courses in high school, but an 80-percent survival chance of students who did take AP classes.

Crook said that is because students who take AP courses in high school are more prepared for rigorous college classes.

According to Houge, Gardendale in the future should have a more competitive work force with more students taking AP courses.

“It could have a tremendous impact on the community,” she said, regarding the job force.

“I think the impact is going to be very visible,” said Vacca.

A condition of the grant is for GHS to have at least 130 students sign up for AP classes in the 2008-09 school year. Vacca said that 199 students are enrolled for AP courses next year.

She added that more than 400 students are enrolled for pre-AP courses next year.

“Mr. Caufield and I believe the impact is just beginning,” said Vacca.

Jeff Caufield, principal at Bragg Middle School, said that his school is also offering pre-AP courses next year to prepare students for AP classes in high school.

“We want this to have a widespread effect,” Caufield said. “We’re starting all the way back in the sixth grade.”

A parent at the meeting said that people in the community are worried that general students, those not taking AP courses, will be ignored with such a big focus on AP classes.

Vacca said that will not be the case. She said that GHS teachers will be teaching only one or two AP courses, and four or five general classes.

“The impact will be spread,” said Vacca. “The general students will benefit (from teachers’ knowledge) as well as the advanced students.”

Vacca in turn voiced a concern of her own regarding the grant.

The NMSI grant covers AP math, science and English courses, including the testing, which costs $84.

But GHS also offers AP foreign language, history, fine arts and computer science courses.

“The parents are going to have to pay for that themselves,” Vacca said. “These kids deserve the same opportunity to take the test.”

Crook said that the Gardendale Education Committee would take a look at that problem.

“I feel strongly that we can find a solution,” she said.