All sessions will begin on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and end on Friday, July 24, 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 face-to-face instruction on the UA Little Rock campus, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Consultant Information and Course Descriptions
Marshall Welch, Alpena School District 5, Alpena AR
AP Biology – Combined (New and Experienced Teachers)
Marshall Welch has been a high school science educator for 37 years with the last 30 of those at Alpena High School in northwest Arkansas. He works also as a part-time faculty member at North Arkansas College where he is a physical science, astronomy, and biology instructor. While at Alpena, he has taught AP Biology for 19 years. In 2015, Marshall was recognized as a National Board Certified Teacher. Marshall initiated a competitive high school science research program that has over 1,400 regional, state, and international science fair awards won by students. He has had the privilege of mentoring 24 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists. He has also collaborated with the Alpena FFA Chapter to produce over 100 National FFA Agriscience Fair Finalists. 15 of those were national award winners earning 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place honors.
Marshall was selected among a small group of high school science educators to be trained as a College Board Professional Development Consultant in April 2013. He was trained in Chicago and has presented professional development events for the New York Stem Initiative, Texas Gear Up, Oklahoma Department of Education, California Department of Education, AP Regional Conference, AP National Conference, China Workshop and Summit (Shanghai, China), and the Los Angeles Unified School District along with local events in Arkansas. He has presented over 60 Advanced Placement Summer Institutes in Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Costa Rica. He finds the move to a framework driven and inquiry-based curriculum in the AP sciences an interesting challenge and enjoys helping teachers transition to this direction of AP Science education.
Course Description
The 2026 AP Biology APSI will acquaint teachers with the eight Units and spiraling of the four Big Ideas found in the AP Biology curriculum framework. Participants will take an in-depth look at the AP Biology Course Exam and Description and how it is organized into Big Ideas, Units, Enduring Understandings, Essential Knowledge statements, Learning Objectives, and Science Practices. Each day will address a unit found in the curriculum framework. Each day will also include an AP Strategy session designed to enhance an AP Biology learning environment by moving from teacher to student-centered instruction. AP Concepts will also be offered in a daily session to help teachers assist students toward skills needed in an AP Biology class. Select AP Biology labs that correlate to each unit will be included. Additionally, inquiry investigation will be performed to help the teacher move from guided to more open-inquiry labs for their students. Participants are asked to have basic classroom supplies, a calculator, personal protective equipment and supplies for laboratory activities, and an internet capable electronic device if available. Through practice, sharing of ideas, discussions, and modeling, it is the intention that participants will become more skilled in instructing their students to become more successful in achieving the skills necessary in the AP Biology program of study.
What to Bring
Laptop, USB drive to save your work
Chris Buczek – Indiana Academy for Science, Math, and Humanities, Muncie, IN
AP Chemistry – Combined (New and Experienced teachers)
Chris Buczek brings over 20 years of AP Chemistry teaching excellence to her summer institutes, combining proven classroom success with practical, immediately implementable strategies. Teaching at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, Chris maintains a 100% AP exam pass rate while serving as an AP Reader and College Board Consultant.
Recognized as one of Indiana’s Top 25 Educators in her nomination for Indiana Teacher of the Year, Chris was also honored with the Dean Weaver Award by the 2025 graduating class for exceptional service to the Academy community. Her workshops consistently earn outstanding reviews, with 2025 participants rating them 3.8 – 4 out of 4 for recommendation to colleagues.
What Teachers Say:
“This was the best AP Summer Institute I have attended.”
“Chris is incredibly knowledgeable and inspiring. She modeled very well what she does in the classroom during the labs and activities.”
“She was fabulous. She knows what she is doing, and she gave us tools and techniques that will be invaluable.”
“Best educational experience I’ve had in a while.”
Chris’s four-day intensive workshops feature extensive hands-on laboratory experiences using Vernier LabQuests, strategic approaches to common student misconceptions, practical course planning for various schedules, and analysis of actual AP exam questions. Participants leave with comprehensive digital resource packages, ready-to-implement lab procedures, and ongoing support throughout the academic year.
Course Description
The AP Summer Institute in Chemistry empowers both novice and experienced educators with immediately implementable resources and strategies. At its core, this intensive program features hands-on laboratory work where participants engage with classroom-ready experiments that demonstrate key concepts while modeling best practices in lab instruction. You’ll depart with a comprehensive collection of tested labs and ready-to-use resources that seamlessly integrate into your AP Chemistry curriculum.
Moving beyond the laboratory, we’ll explore the AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED), analyze authentic student responses, and harness the full potential of AP Classroom resources. Through collaborative discussions and shared experiences, you’ll develop proven strategies to overcome common teaching challenges and boost student engagement. Our examination of the AP Exam structure, scoring guidelines, and effective test preparation techniques draws from documented success stories and real classroom experiences.
Whether you’re launching a new AP Chemistry program or enhancing an established course, this course offers a supportive environment for networking with colleagues and gaining practical tools to strengthen your teaching practice. Join us for an immersive experience that transforms how you approach AP Chemistry instruction.
This four-day AP Chemistry Summer Institute led by Chris Buczek provides comprehensive training for both new and experienced teachers. Day 1 covers the AP course framework, audit requirements, and includes a spectrophotometric analysis lab exploring dye concentration in Gatorade. Day 2 focuses on curriculum planning, program growth strategies, and features labs on quantitative analysis of brass composition and kinetics using rate law determination. Day 3 addresses advanced topics including thermodynamics, acid-base equilibrium, and AP Classroom resources, with a hands-on equilibrium lab demonstrating Le Chatelier’s Principle. Day 4 emphasizes assessment through grading actual 2024 AP exam responses, analyzing student work patterns, and conducting an acid-base titration lab, concluding with implementation planning and evaluation. Throughout the institute, participants engage in collaborative planning, receive comprehensive digital resources including lab procedures and unit plans, and complete a homework assignment analyzing 2024 Free Response questions. All sessions integrate practical laboratory experiences using Vernier LabQuests and colorimeters, with ongoing post-institute support provided throughout the academic year.
Resources Provided to Participants
- Comprehensive digital resource package with all workshop materials
- Laboratory procedure guides with equipment lists and safety protocols
- Sample unit plans and pacing guides for various school calendars
- Collection of effective formative and summative assessments
- AP Exam preparation materials and practice resources
- Access to online community for continued collaboration
- 2024 AP Chemistry Free Response Questions (homework assignment)
Post-Institute Support
- Continued support through the academic year
- Access to instructor for consultation on implementation challenges
- Continued sharing of resources and best practices
Scott Cole – Forsyth Central High School, Cumming, GA
AP Environmental Science
Scott Cole has been a teacher for 25 years in the states of Tennessee and Georgia. He earned a B.S. in Biological Education from East Tennessee State University, where he concentrated in Wildlife Biology. After teaching across the state of Tennessee, he moved to the suburbs just north of Atlanta where he has taught AP Environmental Science for the last 19 years. He has participated in the AP Reading for 11 years, with three of those years served as a Table Leader. He has been an AP Consultant since 2019, leading workshops for/in 16 states by the end of 2026.
Course Description
The AP Environmental Science course is designed as the equivalent of a one-semester introductory college class, focusing on scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. Students learn to identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, assess associated risks, and explore solutions for prevention or resolution. This interdisciplinary course draws from geology, biology, chemistry, geography, and environmental studies.
To support teachers, participants will receive a digital folder of resources including labs, rubrics, review sheets, and sample tests. The Summer Institute introduces College Board resources and AP Exam updates, while exploring labs, projects, and field activities. Strategies for classroom instruction and AP exam preparation will also be discussed, ensuring teachers leave with a clear understanding of student needs and practical tools to design effective curricula.
Melissa Livings – Pearce High School, Richardson, TX
AP Music Theory (New and Experienced Teachers)
Melissa Livings is a native Texan who began her musical studies in the Paris ISD band program. She later served in the US Military on goodwill missions as a member of the 531st Texas Air National Guard Band.
Mrs. Livings graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education with an emphasis on string pedagogy and orchestral studies. She completed her Master’s Degree in Music Education from UTA with a focus on Music Theory Pedagogy.
Mrs. Livings has been the Head Director of Orchestras and AP Music Theory at Pearce High School in Richardson, TX since 2000. She is an active member of TMAA (2008-Present), TODA and TMEA and regularly serves as leadership for her TMEA Region. In the summer, she serves as a Reader and Table Leader for the College Board AP Music Theory Exam and regularly works as a Consultant for AP Music Theory workshops around the country.
Mrs. Livings resides in Richardson, TX with her husband, Forrest, and her daughter, Echo.
Course Description
This comprehensive summer workshop is designed to help all AP Music Theory teachers (both new and experienced) refresh and refine their teaching practices and gain new ideas to incorporate into the classroom. We will cover all aspects of the course and exam, from designing and planning the course to implementing and assessing instruction. We will discuss and make plans for the pacing of the course as well as explore resources such as AP Classroom and other free sites that you can use in your teaching. Sample classroom activities and materials will be provided, and participants will have opportunities to collaborate so that we may share ideas together. In addition, we will develop thematic units that the participants can take and use in their classes.
For a sample agenda click here.
Kris Campos – Cedar Park High School, Cedar Park, TX
AP Spanish Language and Culture (New and Experienced Teachers)
Kris Campos has been a Spanish teacher at Cedar Park High School in the suburbs of Austin, Texas since 2008, where she also serves as Department Chair for Languages other than English and Sponsor of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. Prior to moving to Texas, she taught for 10 years at Topeka West High School in Topeka, Kansas. Kris has taught AP Spanish Language and Culture for 25 years, and has also taught all other levels of Spanish, from Spanish I through AP Spanish Literature. She has participated in the AP Reading since 2004, as a Reader, Table Leader, Sample Selector and most recently as Question Leader. In addition to serving as an AP Consultant and AP Mentor, Kris has also presented workshops at local conferences and served as a mentor for new AP teachers in her district. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Kansas State University.
Course Description
This comprehensive workshop is designed to help all teachers of AP Spanish Language and Culture, whether they are new to AP or have years of experience and are looking to refresh and refine their teaching. We will cover all aspects of the course and exam, from designing and planning the course to implementing and assessing instruction. We will explore the Course and Exam Description, including the course revisions that are expected to take effect for the 2026-2027 school year, and provide guidance on how to design and pace the course. Sample classroom activities and materials will be provided, and participants will have multiple opportunities to work collaboratively and share best practices for developing student proficiency. In addition, we will develop thematic units that the participants can take and use in their classes.
Some specific topics that will be covered are:
- Signing up for the AP Audit
- Participating in the AP Community
- Ensuring equity and access for our students
- Exploring the new digital exam format
- Incorporating the six course themes
- Developing proficiency in the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal and presentational)
- Introducing the new course project, which will require students to use authentic source materials in the target language to prepare for authentic speaking tasks on the exam
- Expanding vocabulary
- Incorporating literature into the language course
- Developing cultural proficiency using the 3 Ps
- Maximizing the use of AP Classroom resources, such as AP Daily Videos, Progress Checks and the AP Question Bank
- Applying the scoring guidelines to student samples of the free response questions
Sherry Ross – Florida Southern College, Bartow, FL
AP Art and Design for teachers New to AP
Sherry Ross is an art teacher of nearly thirty years teaching all levels and a wide variety of media. She has over twenty years of experience teaching AP Art and Design and has served as College Board APAD Reader for a decade. She has worked to build AP programs at several Title One schools and has served as mentor and resource to her colleagues. She created online resources for Fiveable.me so that students across the county could have a greater chance of success on their APAD test.
An award winning Artist, Ross specializes in painting and photography, but jokes that she has Art ADD, as she loves experimenting with all media. She lives in Central Florida with her family, a dog, assorted cats, and a small herd of chickens.
Course Description
The AP Art and Design APSI is designed to provide teachers with a deeper understanding of the course and the requirements for successful completion by their students. We will examine the College Board Course and Exam Description (CED), explore the rubrics, and create personal artwork for teachers to use as exemplars in instruction. There will be dedicated instructional segments, ample time for question and answers, course planning exercises, and asynchronous work time for individual artwork creation. No prior experience teaching AP is needed.
AP Computer Science A – Combined
Jill Westerlund – Collin County Community College District, Frisco, TX
Jill Westerlund is an instructor of computer science (CS) at the University of Alabama (UA) where she teaches courses for undergraduate CS students and undergraduate and graduate pre-service education majors seeking a CS certificate endorsement. Jill’s work at UA also includes supporting teachers and students through funded grant projects focused on broadening access to K-12 CS education.
In 2017, Jill was selected as Alabama’s Aspirations in Computing Educator of the Year by the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT). She served in reading leadership and as a reader for CS Principles as well as on the College Board’s Development Committee for AP® CSP from 2018 – 2023. Currently, Jill serves as the lead consultant for the College Board’s Computer Science A course, as a syllabus reviewer for AP® CSA and AP® CSP, and as a workshop consultant for AP® Computer Science Principles and AP® Computer Science A. During 2023, Jill served on the College Board’s AP® Educator Advisory Committee on Generative AI.
An avid knitter and quilt maker, Jill lives in Homewood, Alabama, with her husband, Eric, and their basset hound, Louie.
Course Description
This workshop provides teachers with strategies and tools to implement an effective AP CSA course. During this training, teachers will examine the NEW! 2025 AP CSA Course and Exam Description. Activities that progress students’ proficiency in the course skills will be emphasized during the sessions. Participants will work on a course plan for teaching the skills and content identified in the AP CSA course assessment. The APSI agenda incorporates the College Board’s five (5) required topics as provided below.
Day 1
| Includes 1 Course and Exam Description & Course Planning (2 hr requirement) 2 Expanding AP Opportunities (1 hr requirement) 4 AP Daily & AP Classroom (1 of 2 hr requirement) 5 Assess & Reflect (1 of 2 hr requirement) |
Day 2
Includes
1 Course and Exam Description & Course Planning (ongoing)
3 Strategies & Pedagogical Tools (3 hr requirement; ongoing)
5 Assess & Reflect (2 of 2 hr requirement)
Day 3
| Includes 1 Course and Exam Description & Course Planning (ongoing) 3 Strategies & Pedagogical Tools (ongoing) 5 Assess & Reflect (ongoing) |
Day 4
Includes
3 Strategies & Pedagogical Tools (ongoing)
4 AP Daily & AP Classroom (2 of 2 hr requirement)
5 Assess & Reflect (ongoing)
Content and Pedagogical Topics emphasized throughout the Institute will include the following:
- Java editors suited for classroom labs or Chromebook use
- Strategies and resources for blended and extending learning
- CSA’s Algorithms for Arrays
- Abstraction (Procedural and Data)
- Best practices in teaching computer science
- Expanding access through recruitment for CS and within classroom practices
- Unplugged and manipulatives for the CS classroom including interactive journals
Participants will be best equipped for participation in the in-person Institute with these supports:
- Computer – capable of connecting to the internet from the institute site
- Google Account – to access to integrated resources via Google Drive
- Composition Notebook recommended – for notes and interactive journal modeling