Island school district qualifies for exclusive honors club

Shelter Island has been selected to join an exclusive club — only 25 school districts in New York State are members.

The Island’s school district has been listed on the Advanced Placement District Honor Roll for expanding opportunities and improving performance for its students who take accelerated courses.

“Congratulations to all of our hard working faculty, staff and students,” said Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik in making the announcement.

In all of North America, only 433 school districts have made the exclusive list

To be listed on the AP Honor Roll, a small district like Shelter Island has to provide data for three years demonstrating at least an 11 percent increase in students taking the advanced courses, and achieving certain scores in standardized tests in those courses.

On Shelter Island, about 40 percent of students take at least one advanced placement course and generally take more than one, according to Lynne Colligan, who teaches AP literature and composition. Other advanced placement courses offered at the school include U.S. and world history, environmental science, calculus and biology. The demands on students opting for advanced placement classes are many, according to teachers who work with them.

Walter Brigham, who teaches AP calculus, said the curriculum is more challenging than those who elect mainstream courses.

“I see students willing to work harder to meet the course standards,” Mr. Brigham said.

Determined to build an advanced placement program for Shelter Island, the administration launched an honors program designed to prepare students for the advanced work, history and government teacher Peter Miedema said.

Through the years, there’s been a greater concentration on student writing and verbal presentations to develop those skills earlier, Ms. Colligan said.

As for homework, an AP student likely spends at least an hour a night per subject on those areas for which they hope to gain AP credits. Mr. Miedema said.

The rigor of the program and the amount of work expected of AP students is what helps prepare them for college, Ms. Colligan said. At the same time, there is more structure in AP courses than the students will experience when they go on to college, she said.

So what’s in it for students besides a lot more school work?

When they graduate, it will be with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors Distinction. Ms. Colligan said.

But that’s only the beginning.

The value of all that hard work, according to the non-profit College Board, includes:
• Standing out among applicants as college admissions officers review their credentials. Students willing to tackle advanced placement classes are viewed as those who are likely to do well in college.
• In many cases, colleges are willing to grant credits for coursework completed as an advanced placement high school student. That can save money when it comes to tuition costs and allow students, in some cases, to bypass introductory classes.

Yet, despite those opportunities, the College Board estimates that only about 50 percent of those eligible for AP courses are participating.