Rigor Is Cool at Highland High School

Jan. 2010

Midwestern News

Members of Highland University Club

For Highland High School counselor Kyle Poyer, who is also head wrestling coach, motivating students to work harder to reach higher goals is nothing new. Not only has he produced state wrestling champions, but also three of the last four valedictorians at Highland High School in Anderson, Ind., have been four-year varsity wrestlers.

So when Poyer set out with his colleagues to find new ways to promote the school’s Advanced Placement® culture, he pulled from his coaching experience and created, in essence, an AP® booster club — complete with fundraising events, community outreach projects and bowling nights — and made “Highland University” the place to be.

Anderson is like a lot of Midwestern industrial cities — the loss of manufacturing jobs has left the city devastated, and a large number of students have parents who never went to college. Higher education represents the best hope for students who wish to build a brighter future for themselves and a stronger economy for their community, so the school has employed various methods to increase student participation in college-preparatory courses.

“Following two strong years in which the number of Highland students passing AP Exams more than doubled,” said Poyer, “we saw an opportunity to increase the program’s momentum, create more excitement and build community awareness.” Highland’s director of guidance, Michel Mullins, suggested they first plan an event to raise the visibility of the AP program. The group of school counselors and AP teachers decided to host an AP Rocks Tailgate Party this fall, just before a school football game, and Poyer found local sponsors to cover the initial costs. To promote the event, the group made T-shirts, printed signs and invited the entire school. The event was a great success, and it was duplicated at each home game this fall.

Having gotten the students’ attention, Poyer and colleagues — AP European History and AP Economics teacher Ralph Robinson and AP U.S. History teacher Aaron Riley — wanted to start an AP club. “A teacher asked me how we could convince a student who prefers taking the easy route to accept the challenge of college-level work when it’s not required,” said Poyer. This gave Poyer the idea to call the club “Highland University.”

In a matter of months, Highland University has amassed more than 100 members, growing faster than any other club at the school. The club has created a mission statement and holds weekly meetings. Members offer tutoring and hold fundraisers to offset the cost of exams and to plan social events, such as an end-of-year celebration after their AP Exams. Most important, they have found a way to reach students and prompt them to engage in rigorous course work.

"The Highland University club has created a learning environment where advanced college-prep studies are no longer reserved for the elite,” said Robinson. “The accessibility of AP courses for students has been made wider by the support and enthusiasm of the Highland University student members through their efforts to expand enrollment and support struggling AP students. The support of our AP teachers and their students has been phenomenal. The reality of college is much more real and reachable even to our lowest-income students as a result. I am extremely proud to be a part of this community of scholars and look forward to even further expansion of the program to all of our student body."

Riley added that the University club and AP programs at Highland “have given our students the chance to push the boundaries of previous expectations. Our students have come to demand and expect the highest levels of performance from not only the faculty but from themselves as well. It has been a joy to watch the growth of our students as they realize the potential that lies within each of them.”

This year, Highland High School has 393 students enrolled in 14 different AP subject areas, up from 336 students last year. The number of traditionally underrepresented minority students enrolled in AP has increased 650 percent.

Due to state budget cuts, Anderson Community School Corporation will merge the district’s two high schools in 2010-11. When Highland merges with Anderson High School, Poyer — never one to waste an opportunity — believes this will provide yet another opportunity to strengthen the school’s AP program for all students. At Highland High School, one thing is certain: Rigor is cool.