*All sessions will begin on Monday, June 22, 2026, and end on Thursday, June 25, 2026. All consultants teach or have taught AP and are endorsed by the College Board. They include AP Exam Readers and AP award winners, and they serve as lead consultants for other regional and national AP Institutes.
This week is ONLINE, with both Synchronous and Asynchronous instruction, from Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Consultant Information and Course Descriptions
Beth Hall – Beebe High School, Beebe, AR
AP English Language and Composition – for New Teachers
Beth Hall earned her MFA in Creative Writing in 2014 and soon began her career as a high school English teacher in Beebe, Arkansas. She quickly developed a passion for teaching nonfiction and helping students hone their writing skills. Over the years, Hall has taught honors, AP, and concurrent credit English classes and also served as a high school soccer coach for seven years. In 2024, she was honored as the Beebe High School Teacher of the Year. Outside the classroom, in 2019, Hall launched a YouTube channel, Coach Hall Writes. Hall’s videos quickly gained notoriety among AP Language and Composition teachers and students because of the videos’ conciseness and clarity. In 2020, the Coach Hall Writes YouTube Channel was listed as one of the top resources AP Lang teachers felt was most helpful in preparing their students for the AP Language and Composition exam. After serving as an AP Lang reader for multiple years, Hall became a College Board consultant in 2023. In 2024, Hall co-authored the AMSCO Writing for the AP Exam: English Language and Composition textbook.
Course Description
This workshop is designed for both new and experienced AP Language and Composition teachers who want to deepen their knowledge of effective strategies and instructional methods to enhance student learning. Through interactive online sessions, participants will explore each core component of the AP English Language exam—including the multiple-choice section (both reading and writing questions), synthesis essays, rhetorical analysis essays, and argument essays—and discuss approaches to equip students with the skills needed for success on the exam.
Participants will:
- Explore the Course and Exam Description (CED) and AP Classroom
- Gain instructional strategies for teaching the enduring understandings of the course
- Engage in collaborative activities to exchange ideas and best practices with fellow educators
- Discuss the AP scoring process and review the latest AP Language exam essay prompts
By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with actionable strategies to improve student engagement, achievement, and overall success in the AP Language and Composition course.
Nanci Bush – Solon High School, Solon, OH
AP English Language and Composition – Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
With over 35 dynamic years in education, Nanci Bush is on a mission to empower both students and fellow educators. She currently brings her enthusiasm to the classroom as an AP English Language and Composition teacher at Solon High School, teaching English 9-12, Public Speaking, and Creative Writing. She is an alumna of The Ohio State University (BA/BS) and Kent State (M.Ed.).
Nanci’s commitment to excellence has been recognized with honors such as the Cornell STAR Teacher Scholarship (2021) and the title of Ohio’s Outstanding Language Arts Educator (2000).
Since 2001, Nanci has been a deeply valued partner to the College Board, serving as a Reader, Table Leader, and sample selector. For the past 25 years, she has traveled nationally and internationally as a dedicated AP Consultant, presenting at conferences and Advanced Placement Summer Institutes. Her driving goal? To ensure every participant leaves her sessions with inspiring, practical materials they can immediately implement to cultivate success in their own unique classroom environments.
Course Description
Welcome! This AP English Language and Composition Summer Institute will offer teachers a strong foundation for setting up new AP courses, guidance for creating AP Units relevant to each participant’s students, invigorating ideas for energizing existing courses, and ample strategies for the pre-AP classroom. As a current AP English Language teacher, the workshop consultant will offer numerous strategies for improving students’ abilities to read critically and write purposefully. Additionally, participants will receive an overview of My AP Classroom (web-based resources and support from the College Board) Plus, as an AP Reader and Table Leader, the consultant will provide scoring experience on recent AP essays and practice with AP multiple choice passages. The workshop will be structured with many hands-on lessons to help teachers choose classroom strategies to strengthen student success on AP English skills. Our platforms are Zoom, Blackboard, AP Classroom, and Google Drive.
Goals
Understand skills necessary for student success in the AP English Language course Plan/Update your AP Course by selecting instructional strategies for reading, writing, and viewing texts
Practice assessing student progress with AP’s 6-point rubric and AP Classroom resources Develop an AP community for support
AGENDA
Day 1: Course and Exam Overview
Acquire an overview of AP English Language and Composition
Explore the Course & Exam Description
9 Key Units
Big Ideas
Skill Categories
Explore My AP Classroom
Day 2: Rhetorical Analysis
Understand the Rhetorical Situation
Develop a Foundation for Rhetorical Analysis
View a range of prompts and practice scoring sample essays
Share teaching strategies for building student competence
Discuss the relationship between claims and evidence and line of reasoning
Day 3: Argument
Understand Argument
View prompts and practice scoring sample essays
Discuss how to teach skills with your favorite texts
Develop an AP Unit
Group activities
Peruse Available Resources for AP English courses
Share & Explore Technological Resources
Day 4: Synthesis & Instructional Design
Understand Synthesis – A Researched Argument
View sample prompts and practice scoring sample essays
Strategies for Instruction from Introduction to Essay Success
Write Synthesis Essay
Create engaging synthesis prompts
Discuss
Diversity and Inclusion; Equity in Access to AP courses
Grading vs. Scoring
Managing the AP workload
Review Units/Syllabus
Discuss Tips for Test Preparation for Students/Final Review
Participant Sharing of Best Practices
Anton Talarico – Granada Hills Charter, Los Angeles, CA
AP Literature and Composition for teachers New to AP
Anton Talarico has taught English at both the high school and college levels for sixteen years and has been newly selected and endorsed by AP College Board to run APSI’s and Public APSI’s around the country as an AP Consultant for Literature and Composition. He has had ten years of experience teaching AP English Literature and Composition. Currently, Anton teaches at Granada Hills Charter, located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, and as an adjunct at Moorpark College, located in Ventura County. Over the last several years, Anton has worked to create a rigorous, yet accessible AP Literature curriculum that serves to prepare students not only for the AP Exam, but also for challenges of their college courses beyond the exam. Over the last several years, he has had major success with student achievement with the AP Literature and Composition Exam, his students even achieving an 80% pass rate during the online 2020 – 2021 Covid-school year, while the national average was approximately 40%. This level of success for Anton and his students has been fostered by a strong passion to teach English and a commitment to a process of close reading and encouraging student voices as they share their perspectives and ideas.
Anton resides in Moorpark, CA with his wife and two beautiful children, where he enjoys running in his free time, training for a variety of distance runs, including a couple marathons a year.
Course Description
This course is designed to benefit the AP Literature and Composition teacher. By providing a clear overview of the CED for the course, teachers are prepared to help their students meet the rigor of the exam. Using contemporary and classic literature, we will explore general approaches to classroom environments that encourage students to share their thinking and good ideas. The workshop will share and help to develop strategies for helping our students take the essays, and reflect on their progress, helping them to improve their writing, both content-wise and mechanically. Also, we will explore strategies for the Multiple Choice (MC) and cover effective routines that lead to student success on the exam. We will also work to develop meaningful assessments with equity and access being a guiding principle in our design. During the week, we will examine topics of both course and syllabi design, the AP audit process, and requirements and expectations for the AP exam. This workshop will cover some best practices in teaching poetry, short works of fiction, and major works of fiction (novels and drama), and facilitate workshop time for teachers to formulate their own lesson plans and general course curriculum. Teachers will also be given the opportunity to work on their AP course syllabus and can ask questions regarding the audit process, ensuring that they are prepared and ready for the school year. Please bring teaching resources/materials/literature you want to revise or incorporate into your AP school year. The workshop will be largely hands-on and differentiated to the degree needed.
Materials included
- College Board Workshop Handbook
- Curriculum Materials and Activities/Stuff You’re Thinking about Teaching
- Access to Workshop Google Drive (during and following the workshop)
- Be familiar with either (or both):
- “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner OR
- “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin ▪ Both of these full texts can be found in Workshop Google Drive
Course Objectives: The course will prepare the beginning and experienced English teacher to
- Understand the layout of and skills tested on the AP Literature and Composition exam through a thorough review of the course CED (Content Knowledge)
- Experience Grading student essays to accurately assess and give effective feedback to students. Explore helpful routines that lead to success in timed-essay writing (Content Knowledge and Pedagogy and Student Learning)
- Construct lesson plans that increase students’ skills in critical reading of poetry, short fiction and longer fiction, and improve their analytical writing (Content Knowledge and Pedagogy and Student Learning)
- Develop focused units that maximize student engagement and prepare students for the rigors of the AP exam and the college experience beyond (Content Knowledge and Pedagogy and Student Learning)
- Use a range of primary and secondary source material to augment the study of rhetorical forms in literature (Content Knowledge)
Support: I am looking forward to working with everyone. I’m excited to get to know you and for you to get to know your fellow participants so that we can form a supportive learning community that continues long after the school year begins.
Feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have both during the week and after the workshop concludes: [email protected]
Anthony Patrick-Smith – Brighton High School, Brighton, TN
English Literature and Composition -Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
Anthony Patrick Smith has taught AP English Literature and Composition for almost three decades at Brighton High School in Brighton, Tennessee. He also teaches AP English Language and Composition, English Honor courses, has served as the head of the English Department and as an instructional coach for the school district, and has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Memphis. Anthony Patrick earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Memphis and his doctorate from Union University.
At Brighton High School, Anthony Patrick serves on the leadership team for the school and on the education council for the school district. He is a table leader for the AP English Literature and Composition Exam and an AP Consultant. Outside of school, Anthony Patrick loves hanging out with his wife and children, working on old cars, watching old films, and traveling to new places.
Course Description
AP Colleagues:
I look forward to our online APSI through UALR in June. If you are new to Advanced Placement or have been a teacher for a few years, we will collaborate, learn, and create materials that will be useful in your classroom as you guide both a love for literature in your students and their success in the course. I always value practical information that helps me to present the requisite skills and the creative ideas that make literature so fun. That is what I want this week to be. We will focus on the Course and Exam Description, AP Classroom, the test itself, helpful resources, and best practices for student reading and writing. Whereas Advanced Placement courses can seem daunting to both students and newer AP teachers, I want you to leave our week
together with renewed confidence, fresh ideas, and understanding to take to your classroom.
If you have any questions or comments – please contact me at [email protected] – would be great to hear from you.
See you in June.
Cordially,
Anthony Patrick Smith
AP Lit Consultant
Thelvie Cullins, Jr. – School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in Dallas ISD
AP Calculus AB -Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
Thelvie Cullins, Jr. has a 20-year career as an award-winning Dallas ISD Math Educator, thriving to create a culture of caring in the classroom. His mission is to prepare young people to become responsible citizens of the global community and to enhance their leadership skills, moral values, and critical thinking in-and well beyond-the classroom.
He has experience teaching high school students all levels of math including AP Calculus AB and BC at the School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in Dallas ISD, presently ranked as the best high school in Texas and the sixth best high school in the nation.
At his core, Cullins loves God, his family, his friends, teaching, sports and traveling. He is a proud graduate of Florida A & M University, where he majored in Electrical Engineering. He also enjoys serving with organizations that promote graduation, college preparedness and access, including the College Board and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
Course Description
This AP Summer Institute will prepare secondary mathematics teachers to more effectively teach AP Calculus AB. Throughout the course, several strategies will be presented and modeled for teachers to assist them, and their students achieve a high level of success on the AP Calculus Exam. We will collaborate, sharing pedagogical approaches as well as ideas pertaining to scope and sequence. Integrated into the course are best practices for teaching, using the Understanding by Design model which is a foundation of lesson planning for this AP course. Throughout the week, in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions, we will explore free resources and solve many problems, focusing on those students find most challenging. The 2025 Free-Response questions and other sample AP multiple choice and free response questions are integrated into our daily sessions, and we will, also, practice scoring sample student responses, using them to determine how topics in the CED are assessed. Additionally, participants will receive and develop a library of files and digital resources that can be easily implemented in their classrooms. These files include guided notes, discovery activities, and formative assessments. These takeaways will be presented via hands-on activities, presentations, and problem-solving. Teachers will also have an opportunity to explore the Course and Exam Description, AP Classroom, and their Instructional Planning Reports to help guide the delivery of their content. Upon completion of this workshop, participants should feel more confident and prepared as it relates to teaching AP Calculus AB.
Katie Smith – Saint Christopher’s School, Richmond, VA
AP U.S. History -Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
Kathryn Smith obtained her Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching from the University of Virginia in 2012. She earned her Post Master’s Certificate in Educational Leadership in 2022 from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked as an AP US history teacher since 2013, has attended the AP US History Reading since 2016, and served as a Table Leader since 2019. Additionally, Katie presented at the National Social Studies Conference in 2019 on Gender in American History Curricula, achieved National Board Certification in Social Studies in 2020, served on the Virginia State Committee for Standards of Learning in 2021, and was her school’s Teacher of the Year in 2022. In her tenure as an educator, Kathryn has taught in both public and independent schools, in both low income and affluent districts, thus understanding the challenges faced by many teachers. As a College Board Endorsed History Consultant, Kathryn will facilitate workshops and summer institutes around the country. She currently teaches at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia. Kathryn can be reached at [email protected]
Course Description
This course provides participants with an in depth overview of the course description and framework so they can empower students to be successful in the course, and on the AP exam. Throughout the course, participants will model best practices for structuring instruction to support student cultivation of skills and content knowledge. Additionally, participants will gain innovative strategies for teaching analytical writing with regard to the newly released rubrics. Participants will leave this course with ready-to-use pedagogical tools for the classroom and a deeper understanding of the AP United States History Course.
Angela Williams-Pitkonen – Dunwoody High School, Dunwoody, GA
AP World History: Modern – Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
I am Angela Williams Pitkonen, and I am currently in my 27th year as an educator, with an M.Ed. Teacher Leadership. I am a reader for the AP World history Modern exam, and I participated in the College Board Project Based Learning (PBL) pilot, as well as the OER project AP World History course. As an APSI for World History Modern it is my goal to deliver workshops with clarity and enthusiasm to support participants in mastering the workshop learning objectives by delivering content, modeling instructional approaches, and sharing best practices, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies. We will take a deep dive into the AP Classroom, explore the resources and if necessary, submit a course syllabus. As an AP teacher I have had much success teaching my students how to write the Document based question (DBQ) and apply the skills they learned to the writing process. In my sessions, we will review documents, annotate, group, and use the documents to substantiate claims, as well as write HIPP analysis, contextualization and evidence beyond the document. The feedback that I have received from past participants lists the DBQ modeling as most beneficial in building confidence to teach this course. My workshops foster a collaborative environment in which professional dialogue is encouraged. You will leave my APSI feeling confident in teaching the skills your students need to be successful on not only the AP exam, but all the courses that they find challenging. As most teachers of history are or will become masters of the content, teaching DBQ ‘s takes practice. I love hearing from my APSI teachers throughout the school year. Whether they are sharing outcomes or in need of advice. It would be my pleasure to share what I have learned with you.
Course Description
Day 1
- Unpack the CED: Themes, HRP, HTS, Unit breakdowns for AP exams, Pacing,
Instructional Activities, Learning objectives, Historical Developments, Illustrative examples. - Module 2 video: Navigating AP classroom.
- Effective use of Data.
- Strategies and Pedagogy.
- Sample Lessons for Units 1-2
- DBQ practice: Doc. and image analysis.
- Key topics Units 1-2.
Day 2
- Complete the course audit (share syllabus).
- Broadening Access to AP
- Create lesson plans.
- DBQ: Doc. and image analysis.
- DBQ: HIPP.
- Review/explore FREE resources.
- Review unit study guides 1-9 (units are combined).
- Strategies and Pedagogy: AP Daily video writing and note-taking.
- Instructional Planning time.
- Key Topics Units 3-4
Day 3
- Assess and Reflect past exam.
- Strategies for writing SAQ.
- Strategies for writing LEQ.
- DBQ/LEQ rubric skills covered.
- Instructional Planning: Units and pacing.
- Strategies and Pedagogy
- Key Topics Units 5 and 6
Day 4
- What do you still need?
- Asynchronous: Practice scoring (SAQ, LEQ, DBQ).
- Strategies and Pedagogy: Bundle the units to cover more content
- Sample Lessons for Units 7-9
- Reflections and Survey
Jenifer Maglicic – Thomas Jefferson High School, Fairfax County, VA
AP U.S. Government and Politics – Combined.
Jenifer teaches US Government to high school students of all abilities and interests. Since 2007, she taught 9th-12th grade AP Government at a variety of environments including a Title 1 school, first time AP course takers, online synchronous students, and Advanced Academic students within the DC Metropolitan area. Jenifer presently teaches AP Government for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to over 125 students in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Jenifer holds a Masters in Political Science from Virginia Tech and is privileged to be the 2016 James Madison Memorial Foundation Fellow from Virginia. Prior to teaching, Jenifer received her B.A. in Political Science from Wheeling Jesuit University and a M.Ed from George Mason University. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. She is presently working on her admin license from University of Virginia and her ISTE certification.
Jenifer has extensive experience with College Board as a consultant. In addition to providing workshops to AP Government and Politics teachers, she presently writes items for the AP exam. She was a previous member of the Test Development Committee from 2020 to 2023 and has appeared in the AP Government and Politics Live Review sessions from 2020-2024. She can be frequently seen at the AP Government reading, and has served as AP Government and Politics question (2020) and table leader (2019, 2021 – 23), and a former presenter at the NCSS Conferences in 2015 and 2016. She is a former moderator of the AP Government Teachers Facebook Group and created and administered this group’s share drive.
Jenifer is a contributing editor to AMSCO AP Government and Politics by David Wolfford and BFW’s American Government: Stories of a Nation for the AP Course, 2nd Edition, by Scott Abernathy and Karen Waples. Finally, Jenifer has proudly worked with civics organizations like iCivics, the National Constitution Center, StreetLaw, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and the John Marshall Institute.
Jenifer grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a proud mom of three high-school and college aged kids and is happily married. When she is not herding her kids or her three cats, she can be found outside gardening, swimming, hiking, or cycling.
Jenifer is formerly known as Jennifer Hitchcock.
Course Description
In this four day synchronous online APSI, we will explore the AP Government and Politics Course. Our goals are the following:
- Examine the Course and Exam Description to plan a year or semester course ensuring coverage of the curriculum (minimum 2 hours)
- Engage with expanding AP opportunities to a wide range of students, including underrepresented students (minimum 1 hour)
- Explore instructional strategies and pedagogical tools from a wide variety of resources, including each of the four FRQs, strategies for MCQs, and the required project (minimum 3 hours)
- Examine AP Daily and AP Classroom as a data source to track student mastery of skills and content (minimum 2 hours)
- Assess and reflect on the Instructional Planning Report, and how AP Classroom can be leveraged to anticipate instructional weaknesses and proactively remediate students mastery. (minimum 2 hours)
While minimum hours are identified, expect that we will go well beyond this according to participant needs. Participant needs will be collected prior to the start of the APSI to ensure that the experience meets your expectations!
Keishar Dewberry – School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in Dallas ISD
AP Biology for teachers New to AP
Keishar Dewberry has been a high school science teacher for 30 years in the Dallas Independent School District. She received her B.S. in Zoology from Texas A&M University and her M.S. in Educational Administration from East Texas A&M University. She has taught AP Biology since 1999. She has been a Reader for the AP Biology exam since 2003. For the last 8 years, she has served as a Table Leader for the AP Biology exam. Keishar also worked for NMSI as a mentor to new teachers and as a presenter for their AP Science Study Sessions in 2018 and 2019. Keishar also teaches AP Environmental Science. Her passion in science education is creating a valuable learning environment for students as well as supporting science teachers in accomplishing that goal.
Course Description
Over the course of the 4-day APSI, new and experienced AP teachers will receive information about the AP Biology Course Framework. Participants will have opportunities to set up and perform suggested laboratory investigations that support the Big Ideas of the Course Framework. Participants will gain access to instructional strategies and materials, and pedagogical tools to support them in helping diverse students in succeeding in their AP Biology course. Participants will also work together to create sample lesson activities that demonstrate the connections between course content and science practice skills. We will also spend time practicing applying the scoring guidelines from the most recent AP Biology exam to samples of student responses. Participants will have some time devoted to developing an effective course plan with the goal of incorporating the scope of the curriculum into their school’s academic calendar.
David Wentz – retired, Bella Vista, AR
AP Chemistry for Teachers New to AP
David Wentz taught public high school science and math in Arkansas for twenty-six years, including twenty-two years in AP Chemistry and eight years in AP Calculus AB. He holds a BSE in Secondary Education from the University of Arkansas. David was the National Math and Science Initiative’s Science Teacher of the Year for Arkansas in 2012. Along with consulting for the College Board, he has consulted for the National Math and Science Initiative as a presenter to AP Chemistry teachers at summer workshops and mock readings, to Pre-AP Chemistry teachers at Laying The Foundation workshops, to AP Chemistry students in NMSI’s Initiative for Military Families, and to AP Teachers for Arkansas AIMS. In addition to consulting, he has been involved with the AP Chemistry Reading since 2012, functioning as both a reader and an early table leader. David has been married for thirty-nine years and has one daughter and one granddaughter.
Course Description
Components of the College Board’s redesign will be emphasized: Curriculum frameworks, exam format, guided inquiry labs. This will include some hands-on work with the 2013 – 2016 Practice Exams, and the 2014-2026 released exams. In addition, an overview of using AP Classroom and interpreting Instructional Planning Reports will be made. The following is a summary of the 30 hour institute:
- 10 hours will be of required training from the College Board via subject specific slide decks addressing AP Classroom and Instructional Planning Reports.
- 20 hours will be devoted to the following: scoring student responses; a high level overview of various labs followed by analysis and conclusion of given data; various topic activities.
- Scoring student responses will include commentary from the reading leadership.
- Planned lab overviews include the topics of solubility product, thermodynamics, kinetics, buffer systems, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy.
- Topic activities include particulate models, rate mechanisms, and equilibrium.
The participant engagement will consist of a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning in all components.