The Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University is in the midst of its 30th year of equipping Advanced Placement teachers around the country with the tools and skills they need to effectively teach the students in their classrooms through the AP Summer Institute (APSI).
During APSI, high school teachers become students. They attend courses led by College Board-endorsed lead consultants who have a broad range of knowledge and proven ability to present to their peers. Instructors include AP test development committee members, AP exam readers, winners of special recognition awards from the College Board and winners of regional and national teaching awards.
“While so much is changing in education, our commitment to teachers and local schools has not, and that is exemplified in this 30th anniversary of the AP Summer Institute,” said Robert Bruce, dean for Rice Continuing Studies. “When we invest in teachers, our schools succeed and our communities thrive. Being part of that for 30 years is an incredible responsibility and a tremendous honor for Rice Continuing Studies.”
Weathering the storm
APSI has served over 10,000 teachers through the years. But planning and execution for this weeklong professional development program for teachers became more difficult this year after Hurricane Beryl hit Houston July 8. Many of the participants come from areas impacted by the storm as do the staff and instructors who facilitate, causing the institute’s in-person week to be postponed one day. A small portion of the more than 400 in-person participants unable to attend because of the effects of the storm were able to transfer to one of the school’s online institutes in the weeks ahead, when they will join approximately 1,000 teachers from across the country.
“Sustaining a program like this for three decades is absolutely a labor of love, especially this year in the aftermath of the storm,” said Brenda Rangel, assistant dean for Rice Continuing Studies’ Center for Education. “We believe that strong schools and districts are the result of strong teachers, and we are fully committed to providing them with the resources they need to succeed, come hurricane or high water.”
“Canceling the first week simply wasn’t an option because the majority of the participants are new AP teachers,” said Shannon Raffetto, associate director for the APSI. “Without this critical training, these teachers would not be able to start the fall from a position of strength and preparedness.”
It runs in the family
One duo looking forward to starting the fall teaching from a position of strength and preparedness is Gretchen and Benjamin Boyle.
Gretchen, attending her second APSI, is an AP literature and composition teacher entering her 39th year at St. Joseph High School in Victoria. Her son Benjamin is going into his fifth year as an AP stats teacher — also at St. Joseph.
Gretchen, who also attended St. Joseph, taught Benjamin while he was in school. In addition, Gretchen’s husband, Michael, is also a longtime educator at St. Joseph.
The mother-son teaching duo decided to attend APSI together, looking to take what they learn and implement it in their classrooms.
“Teaching has always been a part of my life,” Benjamin said. “I’ve seen my parents in so many different facets: first as parents, then as teachers in their classroom and then as colleagues. Working with them every day is just one of the coolest things. And if I ever have questions as a relatively new teacher, there are almost 100 years of experience between the two of them.”
Gretchen said APSI has provided many refreshing teaching perspectives and methods for her and her son.
“It reenergizes you,” she said. “You hear a lot in the teaching profession how people want to quit, retire, get out. If you’re an AP teacher, you need to come to an APSI. Even if you’re not an AP teacher, you could still come and learn and move toward teaching an AP class. It’s academically and intellectually invigorating, and it renews your spirit as an educator.
“The icing on the cake at Rice is that it’s beautiful, inviting and well-organized. The campus is so easy to maneuver around. I would recommend Rice over any other place.”
From teacher to student and back again
Nelva Williamson, a 43-year teaching veteran currently at Houston’s Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, has attended eight of Rice’s APSIs, helping hone her skills and equipping her to prepare her students for the rigors of advanced study. This summer, Williamson once again attended APSI but in a different capacity — she led a workshop as an instructor.
“The field of education is constantly changing,” Williamson said. “You can’t teach outdated methodology with these new-generation students. You have to stay current with technology as well as new and innovative ways to deliver content.
“I would tell other educators to do whatever it takes to attend an APSI. It is well worth the time and the money.”
Williamson was charged with preparing AP teachers for a new offering to the College Board’s AP catalog, AP African American Studies.
“AP African American Studies is an important addition to AP as it brings a new group of students and educators to the College Board,” she said. “This course sparks student interest that has not been seen for a while in the world of AP. I feel it will open up college opportunities but also the opportunity for students to take a class that they find interesting and relevant. Many Black students are longing to see where they fit in the history of this nation.”
To learn more about APSI, visit glasscock.rice.edu/ap-summer-institute.
