Kane County Reporter

At the Dec. 12 meeting of the Geneva Community Unit School District Board of Education, the board received an update on the high school’s AP program from teachers and students.

"It's an awesome program, you're going to hear from some students," Dr. Andrew Barrett, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning told the board. "We're going to tell you about how awesome it is. But it is also important to note it is one way, but not the only opportunity at Geneva High School for kids to have rigorous educational experiences. There's a wide variety of experiences that kids can have, and this is certainly one of those pathways that kids can go down, but it's one of many opportunities and pathways."

Barrett told the board that Geneva High School has been expanding and improving its AP program for the past few years, recently landing on the AP Honor Roll. Barrett said the program can give students college credit if they make a certain grade on an exam. The school currently provides over two dozen AP courses to students. 

Barrett said there has been a lot of growth in Geneva’s AP program since 2011, with 432 students taking at least one AP exam in 2022, an increase from 220 in 2011. There was a total of 688 AP exams taken by students in 2022, up from 314 in 2011. The average AP score has stayed fairly consistent around 3.5 for years, with 2022 showing an average of 3.61. The amount of passing scores has come down slightly since 2011, with a drop due to COVID, but remaining around 84%, much higher than both state and national averages. 

Teachers and students told the board about their experiences with the AP program. The teachers complimented the quality curriculums and assessments that come with the program and their national recognition. They also said that they think it helps prepare students much more for college classes and exams in their future. Students talked about how the rigor was a motivating and challenging wake-up call that helped them take control of their own educational career.