UA Little Rock Consultant Information and Course Descriptions for June 17-20, 2024

Katie Stueart- Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, AR

AP English Language – for Teachers New to AP

Katie Stueart teaches AP English Language and Composition and Literary Magazine at Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, AR. She has taught various levels of English for twenty-one years. In addition, Ms. Stueart has served in a variety of leadership positions both at the district and school level including serving as department chair and the leader of a district level action team to promote diversity in advanced courses. An endorsed College Board consultant, she has participated as an AP exam reader for twelve years and has presented to teachers at the national, local, and state level. Ms. Stueart is a National Board Certified teacher in English Language Arts. She received her B.S.E. from Ouachita Baptist University and her M.A. in English from the University of Arkansas. In her spare time, she loves to read, walk her dog, and watch British crime procedurals.

Course Description
This workshop will familiarize participants to the AP English Language and Composition course as well as the accompanying exam. Participants from varying levels of experience will share their best practices. Participants will be given time to develop or revise a unit of their choice;
participants should bring any course materials they need in order to develop this unit.
The following topics will be covered:

• Pacing the course/CB units
• AP Classroom
• Equity and Access
• Formative Assessment
• Score reports
• Essay Scoring
• Best strategies for teaching synthesis, analysis, and argument
• Feedback strategies
• Close reading strategies
• Annotation
• Writing strategies
• Discussion strategies
• Research and research writing techniques

What to Bring
A USB drive to save your work.

Phyllis Wright, retired, New Mexico and Virginia

AP English Language and Composition –  for Teachers Experienced with AP

Phyllis Wright has a Master’s degree in English, with post-graduate work in Greece and  England. As an AP Language, AP Literature and Creative Writing teacher at Las Cruces High  School and Alma d’arte Charter High in Las Cruces, NM, she has been honored as the 1997 New  Mexico State Teacher of the Year, a 1999 Golden Apple Fellow, and Who’s Who Among  America’s Teachers. As a 2002 United States—NIS—Excellence in Teaching Award recipient,  she participated in a cultural exchange as a guest English teacher in Rotov-na-Donu, Russia.

Phyllis has been an active College Board consultant since 1986 and has worked with teachers all  over the world, from China, Thailand, and South Korea to Jordon and the UAE. Trained as a  College Board National Leader and consultant/teacher mentor, she has served as a member of  AP English Test Development Committee, as well as Reader and Table Leader for AP Language  exam. She is also a member of the Pre-AP National Faculty and is a Co-Mentor for the College  Board’s International Teacher Community. Outside of school, she is an avid hiker and the  Training Director for Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue Team.

Course Description
This interactive workshop will address the breath of the AP Literature and Composition course and focus on developing critical skills, classroom activities, and formative assessments to enhance students’ grasp of the enduring understandings that underlie the AP Literature and Composition exam. The workshop will study analytic assessment (6 point rubric) through the lens of skill development and the relationship between effective planning and our students’ academic growth, as well as focusing on designing course structure, content, reading choices, and unit plans for each teachers’ unique students. We will also unpack the constructive content of the College Board’s Course and Exam Description (CED), as well as their AP Classroom and YouTube platforms.

What to Bring
A USB drive to save work.

Roy Smith – Round Rock High School, Round Rock, TX

AP Literature and Composition for teachers New to AP

Roy F. Smith teaches AP English Literature and Composition at Round Rock High School. He also teaches Dual-Credit British and American Literature through Austin Community College. He has served as English department chair and lead AP English teacher.

Roy is a veteran AP English Literature Consultant, Mentor, and Table Leader at the AP Literature Reading. He has presented at several local and national conferences. In 2015, he was named Round Rock High School and the Round Rock ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running, and spending time with his grandsons, Lincoln and Harrison, and his wife of 47 years, Alannah.

Course Description

Our four-day AP Literature and Composition Summer Institute will investigate all aspects of AP Literature and Composition. We will explore overarching course philosophies and pragmatic day-to-day lessons and activities. Our collaborative sessions will focus on scoring with the 6-point rubric, planning units using contemporary and classic works, preparing students for exam success, and incorporating active lesson segments. Attendees will also investigate poems, short stories, and novels that will engage and challenge their unique student populations and communities. Each APSI is unique, so we may take some side roads during the week as questions arise. I want your APSI experience to be fruitful whether you are new to AP Literature, or if you are a seasoned veteran.

Rachel Stokes – Berea High School, Greenville, SC

AP English Literature and Composition for Teachers Experienced in AP

Rachel Stokes has been an AP Literature and Composition Instructor since 1995 and currently
teaches at Berea High School in Greenville, SC. This is her 34th year of teaching. She has been
an AP Reader for the AP Literature and Composition Exam since 2008 and is currently teaching
AP Literature and Composition, AP Language and Composition, Dual Enrollment English 101,
and English III College Preparatory.  Rachel began her teaching career at Blue Ridge High
School in Greer, SC., and was also a Lecturer in English at Furman University for seven years,
where she taught Composition and Rhetoric and Introduction to Literature. She also taught part-
time for six years in an exclusively online charter school and developed online curriculum for the
American and British Literature courses.

In addition to being a College Board Consultant, she is endorsed in Gifted and Talented Education and has presented a variety of sessions on incorporating technology and internet learning platforms at national conferences, including the AP Annual Conference, the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, the Quality Matters Annual Convention, FETC, and CUE. She has also published in scholarly journals and online. In addition to providing professional development at the school, district, and state levels, she was also a featured speaker for the EdmodoCon 2014 live webcast for over 40,000 viewers worldwide.

Course Description
This workshop will help teachers develop a program of study that aligns instruction with the goals of the AP English Literature and Composition course. We will explore how to structure and pace the AP course and review the particular features of the AP exam. Teachers will have a full analysis of the exam and the new rubrics. Each day will be devoted to a genre and a portion of the exam and participants will have the opportunity to score and discuss sample essays from prompts of the current exam. By attending this workshop, participants will:

Have access to a College Board-endorsed AP workshop facilitator. Although the workshop will take place online, it will not be pre-recorded and will be mainly synchronous. You will have access to your facilitator for the full workshop and you will be provided with direct and instant feedback and strategies for success.

Explore each section of the course and exam description, including the unit guides, while making connections to the course curricular requirements

Begin to develop a course plan by unit and topic that incorporates the full scope of your AP course into your school’s academic calendar

Examine formative and summative assessment items to identify content and skill pairings that are the targets of these assessments and create lesson plans to reinforce content and skill connections

Practice applying the scoring guidelines from the most recent AP Exam to samples of student work *Identify student strengths and weakness using data available through AP Classroom and Instructional Planning Reports

Explore ready-to-use strategies, instructional materials, and pedagogical tools pertinent to the content and skills required for success in your AP course

Engage as a Member of the AP Community: AP teachers are part of a community with many opportunities to discuss teaching strategies, share resources, and more.

What to Bring
A USB drive to save your work.

Deborah Costello – Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA

AP Calculus AB for teachers New to AP

Deborah Costello earned a B.A. in Mathematics from St. Olaf College and Masters in Liberal Studies from Lake Forest College.   She has been teaching AP Calculus since 1990 and most recently taught at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Over the past 20 years, Deb has served as an AP Reader, acting in various roles.  For 6 years she was a Table Leader, and from 2021-2023, she served as a Question Leader. Deb has been a College Board Calculus Consultant for more than 20 years and has presented sessions on mathematics, calculus, calculators, and technology at FETC, FCIS, and the AP National Convention.  Deb is married with two grown sons, currently lives in Orlando, Florida and enjoys photography, her two Labrador Retriever puppies, and travel.

Course Description

This workshop is designed to dive into the AB Calculus curriculum.  We will focus on the Big Ideas of calculus, Limits, Change, and Analysis of Functions, using the fantastic resources in found AP Classroom and the Course and Exam Description (CED) as well as conversations with each other to develop the first unit and a year-long plan for the course.  We will collaborate, sharing pedagogies as well as ideas on sequencing, student and textbook selection, and the use of the graphing calculator.  Integrated into the course are best-practices for teaching, using the Understanding by Design model that is the foundation of this AP course. Throughout the week, in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions, we will explore free online and paper and pencil resources and solve many, many problems, digging into those students find most challenging.  The 2023 and 2024 Free-Response questions and other sample AP multiple choice and free response questions are woven into our daily sessions and we will practice evaluation, using them to determine how topics in the CED are assessed. Participants should have a graphing calculator available for this session.  By week’s end, participants should be ready to start teaching this beautiful branch of mathematics.

Thelvie Cullins, Jr. –  School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in Dallas ISD

AP Calculus AB for Teachers Experienced with AP

Thelvie Cullins, Jr.  has a 19-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 2023 and 2024 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.

Kathryn Smith – Cosby High School, Richmond, VA

AP U.S. History Combined for Teachers New to AP

Kathryn Smith obtained her Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching from the University of Virginia in 2012. She also earned her Post Master’s Certificate in Educational Leadership in 2022. She has worked as an AP US history teacher for ten years, 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, she 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 taught five years in a low income district, and six years in an affluent one, always with special education and AP level courses, 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 Cosby High School in Richmond, Virginia. Kathryn can be reached at smithkg712@gmail.com

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. Participants will leave this course ready to use pedagogical tools for the classroom and a deeper understanding of the AP United States History Course.

What to Bring
A USB drive to save your work.

Bruce Smith – Rio Rancho High School, Albuquerque, NM

AP U.S. History for teachers experienced with AP

Bruce Smith – I have been teaching since 1989. I have been teaching APUSH, AP Gov/Politics, and AP Macro Econ since 2001. AP English Language from 2005 to 2009. College Board consultant since 2004. APUSH Reader since 2006 and Table Leader since 2021.

Bachelors in History, Michigan State University (1988). Masters in Secondary Education, University of New Mexico (1995), Masters in English, Middlebury College (2000), Masters in Liberal Arts, St. John’s College (2009).

Peace Corps volunteer, Papua New Guinea (1988-1990). James Madison Memorial Fellowship recipient (2005). Wrote APUSH test questions for IScore5, an online test prep app. Consultant for NMSI– working with NYC APUSH teachers (2019-2020).

I enjoy cycling (I cycle to school), reading, exercising, and hanging out with nature as much as possible.

Course Description

For experienced APUSH teachers:

We will use the College Board Course and Exam Description Book to cover the
essentials of this course

In addition, participants will:

1. Examine ways to write the DBQ, LEQ and SAQ
2. Use the Concept Outline to plan your APUSH course.
3. Sentence writing using HIPP.
4. Read and score essays from the current national exam.
5. Examine the APUSH Reasoning Processes (The Three C’s).
6. Examine the Eight Themes
7. Discuss the Concept Outline especially the Historical Development items.
8. Discuss the APUSH Rubrics for the LEQ and DBQ.
9. Design an APUSH course that fits your demographics and challenges your students throughout the school year.
10. Share a lesson or project with our group. It could be a bell ringer or mini lesson too.
11. Other items will be discussed such pacing, equity, and review.

Christine Bond-Custred – Edmond Memorial High School, Edmond, OK

AP World History, Modern for teachers Experienced with AP

Christine Bond-Custred currently teaches Advanced Placement (AP) United States History and AP World History at Edmond Memorial High School, in Edmond OK. She has taught AP United States History since 1997 and AP World History since 2007. She holds a Master’s degree in Education Administration and in school counseling (M.Ed.) and is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT).

Ms. Custred has been a College Board consultant since 2000, presenting at numerous College Board institutes including international institutes. She has been an AP Summer Institute consultant since 2003, presenting at well over 50 summer institutes. She co-authored the Research and Education Association (REA) test prep book for AP United States History, she wrote the AP review questions for the AP edition of the Making America textbook, she co-authored the Fast Track to a 5 for AP World History and was a contributing author of the teacher’s edition of the Ways of the World textbook. She has developed and team taught a combination course that bridges AP U. S. History and AP English Language and has co-presented at a Southwest Regional College Board conference and presented at the AP annual conference in Orlando in July, 2019. She served as an AP mentor from 2015-2017, this mentoring program, designed and offered by the College Board, entailed conducting once a month webinars with new AP United States history teachers. She is currently serving her second of three years as a member of the consultant advisory panel for the College Board. She has served as a reader for the AP World History exam and is currently a table leader at the AP United States History reading.

Course Description
The intent of this weeklong workshop in AP World History is to introduce the basic strategies, pace, and content of the course to teachers new to the program and to expand on essay evaluative procedures, note taking strategies, and analytical thinking processes for the more experienced teachers. Best practices and lesson plans will be available for everyone. Topics emphasized will be determined, in part, by the needs identified by the participants but will also include the following:

• AP Classroom: College Board has provided new tools to help you discover your students’ needs. Teachers will be familiar with the Curriculum and Exam Description (CED).
• Content versus Skill: YIKES (both are necessary but the AP course is skills based).
• To Lecture or Not: There are alternatives to the “sage on the stage,” but there is a place for some lecture!
• Note taking Strategies: From the text, class, and primary sources! We will cover how to analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources!
• Pacing/calendar/Syllabus development.
• Essays, Essays, and More Essays: Strategies, evaluative techniques, and rubrics. How are they evaluated by the CB Readers and how do you evaluate them in your school? What are the trends? You will read and we will evaluate.
• Literally dozens of activities/strategies will be provided.
• Sample Lesson Plans: Numerous lesson plans, primary source documents, and activities, will be modelled with the idea of melding content and skills and all geared toward the AP historical thinking skills.
• My goal is to provide enough resources, etc. that give the beginning AP teacher a solid start to their course and the experienced AP teacher new ideas!

What to Bring
A USB drive to save your work.

Laura Kmetz – B.T. Washington Performing Arts High School, Plano, TX

AP Human Geography for teachers both New to and Experienced with AP.

Laura Kmetz just finished her 29th year of teaching. She is the Social Studies Department Chair at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX, where she has taught AP Human Geography for 10 years. Laura writes standards-based activities for APHG published weekly by the National Council for Geographic Education and is the lead APHG teacher for Dallas Independent School District. Laura has also served as an AP exam reader since 2017 and has been an early table leader at the AP reading since 2021. She received an award for Distinguished Teaching in AP Human Geography in 2023 from the National Council for Geographic Education and has been designated as a recognized teacher by the State of Texas as well as a distinguished teacher by Dallas ISD.

Course Description 

In this APSI, participants will closely examine the Course and Exam Description (CED) and make a yearlong instructional plan that incorporates all units, topics, and skills referenced in the CED. Instructional strategies and tools, including AP Daily videos and other resources available in AP Classroom, as well as model lesson plans and activities that support and engage students with varied needs and interests will be shared by the APSI instructor. Participants will be given time during the APSI to write an original lesson plan and receive feedback from the APSI instructor and the other participants. Time will be devoted to discussing strategies for encouraging students, especially those who are underrepresented in AP classes, to participate in the AP program. Participants will also learn to use the data in AP Classroom and the Instructional Planning Report to assess, reflect on, and guide instruction.

Kurt Smart – Feather River College,  Quincy, CA

AP Biology for teachers New to AP

Kurt Smart taught AP Biology and a range of math and science classes for 11 years in both public schools in Northern California and abroad in international schools in Taiwan. He has a BS in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry from California State University, Chico, a MS in Biology from the University of Mississippi, and a MEd from The College of New Jersey. He has been an AP Biology Reader for the past 5 years and is an AP Biology Workshop Consultant, as well as recently being trained as an AP Course Skills Consultant. Kurt is currently a STEM Instructor at Feather River College in Quincy, CA and enjoys spending his time outside of the classroom with his wife, a fellow AP Math teacher, and two children, enjoying the great outdoors of the Sierras.

Course Description

During this AP Biology APSI, you’ll explore the course framework, the exam, and the new AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank.

David Wentz – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, 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 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, and to AP Chemistry students in NMSI’s Initiative for Military Families.  In addition to consulting, he has been an AP Chemistry Reader for ETS since the 2012 reading.  David has been married for thirty-six 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 2014-2022 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.

What to Bring
A USB drive to save your work.