Evanston Township High School has garnered national recognition for the rapidly increasing success of its Advanced Placement program, following the release of a memorandum from the District 202 school board in February.

According to the memorandum, the total number of ETHS students taking AP exams increased by 30 percent between 2011 and 2014, with black and African-American students increasing by 35 percent, Hispanic and Latino students by 78 percent and white students by 19 percent.

Not only is the number of ETHS students sitting for AP exams rising, but their test scores have also climbed. The number of exam scores of 3 or higher increased by 47 percent, with black and African-American students increasing by 98 percent, Hispanic and Latino students by 116 percent and white students by 31 percent.

The heightened interest and performance in AP curricula at ETHS are due in large part to initiatives sponsored by teamASAP, which stands for Access and Success in Advanced Placement, a group of students enrolled in AP coursework who share their experiences with underclassmen interested in taking AP classes, said Pete Bavis, ETHS assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

TeamASAP gathers for bimonthly meetings, which are open to any students interested in learning more about AP classes, said Beth Arey, ETHS college and career coordinator.

“Education can change at a glacial rate,” Arey said. “If we really want to impact what’s going on in students’ lives we need to do it faster, and teamASAP makes that possible. Students actually see their ideas come to fruition … sometimes in a month, sometimes in a year, but it happens while they’re still at the school.”

The group started about three years ago under the supervision of Arey and Dale Leibforth, ETHS AP recruitment and retention manager. It has sponsored forums, panels, programs and smaller groups geared toward educating and attracting ETHS students to AP courses. TeamASAP became more than just an academic support system for students, Bavis said.

“Every two weeks, these kids get together and have lunch during the lunch periods, and it’s really a support group that they’ve developed,” Bavis told The Daily. “So the kids, they talk through their days, share their struggles and their successes in that group.”

Despite the marked improvement in students’ AP involvement, Bavis remarked in a Feb. 27 news release he was not satisfied.

“At the end of the day we’ll be thrilled when our to and through college data looks really good,” Bavis told The Daily. “We’re trying to prepare them for that level so that they can be successful in the classroom and not just get into college but persevere and graduate from college.”

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