Exemplary AP® Program: Miami Coral Park Senior High School

Feb. 2010

Southern News

Miami Coral Park Senior High School has a rich history of rigorous academics and strong AP^® courses, and teachers, administrators and students have upheld the school’s strong tradition even as its population and community have changed in the past 20 years.

Coral Park, which has about 3,300 students and houses an engineering magnet program, offers more than 20 AP courses. It was recognized by the College Board for having the largest number of Latino students from the class of 2009 score a 3 or higher on the AP Chemistry Exam. Assistant Principal Alan Soriano, a former AP English teacher, said he is proud of the students’ achievement in that subject and many others. “We’ve been very successful in psychology, physics, calculus and other areas as well,” he said.

The number of Latino students has increased dramatically since the 1980s, said Principal Nick JacAngelo, and many are English language learners. “Even students who may have struggles with English are able to take on AP courses, especially with Spanish Language and Spanish Literature,” he said. “We want them to have an AP experience and possibly continue on to other subjects.”

JacAngelo and Soriano spoke of the teamwork at school and in the community to develop an atmosphere of excitement toward challenging academics. In 2003, the school’s population was larger, with about 4,500 students. At that time, about 500 students participated in AP courses and took approximately 1,000 exams. Though the total number of students has declined, the numbers of AP students and exams taken have remained the same, representing a remarkable growth in participation.

Soriano said he sees how teachers’ enthusiasm catches on among students, encouraging them to do their best. “So much of the success in AP and other challenging courses comes back to the strengths and personalities of the teachers,” he said. “It really drives enrollments and drives achievement.”

JacAngelo emphasized that professional development and quality training must be a priority to develop and maintain top-quality courses. “You really must invest strongly in the talent base to be successful. The experience and talent that you develop will also influence new teachers and strengthen the entire faculty,” he said. The school also uses vertical teaming to coordinate the curriculum.

Beyond the school walls, the Coral Park faculty coordinates with feeder schools to help incoming students plan schedules that will lay foundations for AP course work. Those efforts are supported by parents as well, JacAngelo said. Many of the students have at least one parent with college experience, and families are expecting their children to pursue higher education.

“We have an open-access enrollment policy that encourages students to take more rigorous courses,” said JacAngelo. “If we can get students started in higher-level courses sooner, they begin to realize that their success is self-perpetuating and they develop greater confidence in their abilities.”

Soriano added, “There’s a great deal of pride that comes with being in an AP course. Students want to do well for their teachers, their school, their families and themselves. That benefits everyone.”