Student success increases in AP and International Baccalaureate classes at SDL
When: School District of Lancaster school board meeting, Nov. 7.
What happened: More students are taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses at J. P. McCaskey High School, and the number of students receiving passing scores increased in 2024, compared to 2023, said Justin Reese, principal.
Detail: Colleges and universities award credit for students who pass these tests.
Quotable: "Our advanced courses continue to grow," Reese told board members.
Results: McCaskey administered 589 AP tests last spring, compared to 498 exams in 2023, Reese said in a Nov. 8 text message. Students may receive college credit for courses that include English language arts, calculus, biology, psychology, African American studies and others.
More: Pupils enroll in a two-year International Baccalaureate program in 11th grade and take an exam senior year. In 2024, the school gave 357 tests, up from 337 in 2023.
Scores: The number of students who received passing grades on these exams also increased, Reese said. For AP exams, 257 students passed in 2023, according to figures Reese provided Nov. 8. That number increased to 305 in 2024. The number of students who passed their International Baccalaureate exams went from 215 in 2023 to 222 in 2024.
Numbers: Almost 1,300 students are taking 54 AP or International Baccalaureate courses this year, Reese said during the meeting.
Choosing classes for fall: Students attending J.P. McCaskey next year will be able to select classes from new offerings in art, Spanish and finance, among others, Reese said.
Quotable: "Our students are telling us they want more options," the principal noted at the meeting. Pupils frequently complete online surveys, Reese explained.
New classes: The district will add an AP one-semester art class that will now include a three-dimensional design component so students can experiment with creating these pieces, Reese said. In addition, a one-semester adaptive art class will be added for students with disabilities.
More: A one-credit International Baccalaureate higher-level class in politics also will begin next fall, and students may take a new class to follow Spanish 1 for students who don't want to get college credit but just want some more practice with conversation and language, Reese said.
Clubs: Some 987 of the school's 2,400 students participate in 44 clubs, Reese said during a Nov. 7 phone call. Three new groups next year will include an urban agriculture club, a women's empowerment club open to anyone who wants to learn famous women in history, and a Latinos Unidos club that will celebrate Hispanic cultures.
Another road to McCaskey: Red Rose transit planned to update the Route 1/Northeast/Southeast path Nov. 11 that will drop people off at McCaskey's front entrance, Superintendent Keith Miles said. Students may purchase discounted passes from redrosetransit.com — according to the school district's website.
