To ensure that our advanced studies courses are available year over year, we build capacity within our faculty should one of our advanced studies faculty move on from SAS. Professional learning community (PLC) teams exist for our advanced studies courses. In a few instances, courses are co-taught. The PLC framework ensures that students receive individual attention as teachers meet weekly to discuss where students are and what supports or extensions they need. PLC team plan and calibrate together, too.
We ensure that our teachers are delivering a rigorous advanced studies course through our annual auditing process for all AT and AP courses. For ATs, teachers submit their assessments and accompanying student work to our strategic partners or to the College Board. Our partners audit our assessments and the student work to ensure that we are delivering on college-level rigor, and provide feedback to our teachers. Similarly, our AP teachers have their syllabi audited every year by the College Board and we receive exam score reports to help us shape our practice.
As with every course offered at SAS, we also survey students for their feedback and teachers are evaluated by their supervising administrator as part of our professional growth and evaluation process.
Should students or families have concerns about an approach being taken in class, we encourage students to “go to the source” and speak with their teachers.
In terms of class sizes, we have a target of 22 students per class for all courses that we offer at SAS: AP, AT or otherwise.