Put on by the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, APSI hosted 492 Arkansas teachers and 198 out-of-state and home school teachers.聽

The Jodie Mahony Center offered three weeks of courses to help teachers improve their content knowledge and teaching skills. Two weeks were offered online and one week on campus. Each week offered 12 courses covering a total of 19 different AP courses. Each week the APSI covered 30 hours of intensive training, including labs, hands-on activities, and instructional strategies that teachers can take back to their classrooms. 

鈥淎dvanced Placement is one of the approved accelerated learning options that districts have to provide opportunities for their students to attain college credit while in high school,鈥� said Lori Delk, professional learning director at the Jodie Mahony Center and APSI coordinator  鈥淎PSI training has been a tried-and-true way of increasing rigor in classrooms across the state, not just in AP classes but in all the classes that the teachers receiving training teach. As a former AP teacher who attended dozens of APSIs over my career, I can speak first hand to the efficacy of the training and of the strategies that are shared with the teachers.鈥�

Dr. Ann Robinson, distinguished professor of education and founding director of the Jodie Mahony Center, called APSI a highlight of the summer. 

鈥淚t is one of our earliest and most impactful professional development programs,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淭he participants, who attend from across Arkansas, the nation, and even around the world, make this a rich and wonderful experience for everyone involved.鈥�

Each week-long institute course is taught by a College Board-endorsed consultant who has received extensive training from , a not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. These consultants are  leaders in their respective subject area and have a proven track record in student success on the AP exams. This year鈥檚 36 consultants taught APSI classes in subjects ranging from chemistry and biology to American history and art and design. 

鈥淧articipating in AP, whether as a teacher or a student, is an academic boost,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淭eachers staying on the cutting edge of accelerated learning strategies. Students develop knowledge and skills that increase their success in a collegiate environment.鈥� 

APSI is funded by a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education that covers the costs of registration for Arkansas public and charter school teachers. The impact extends far beyond the professional development for educators. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock awarded thousands of hours of college credit to incoming freshmen with scores of three or higher on AP exams.

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Special guests included Bill Stovall III, former speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, Jodie Mahony III, son of the late Sen. Jodie Mahony II, and representatives of the Arkansas Department of Education. Stovall described Mahony as a fierce defender of education.

鈥淥ver the years, he was so relentless as we worked on education,鈥� Stovall said. 鈥淎fter he passed advanced placement, he was a protector of it. He was always the one that fiercely defended advancement placement. The last opportunity I had to speak to Jodie was the day before Thanksgiving 2009, not knowing that I wouldn鈥檛 get to speak to him again. I learned a great deal from Jodie. I considered him a friend, and he was a unique character for sure.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education is named after the late Jodie Mahony II, a longtime member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate who championed many improvements in public education. Sen. Mahony was pivotal in establishing ACT 881, which established the Arkansas Advanced Placement Incentive Program Act.

鈥淭hirty years ago, Jodie Mahony II considered it an emergency that teachers did not have training for the College Board Advanced Placement courses,鈥� said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center, one of only 20 centers in the U.S.. The history of Jodie Mahony II and advanced placement in Arkansas is rich and lengthy. He believed in rigorous education for students and in supporting teachers to provide it.鈥�

The AP program from College Board gives high school students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies and to receive advanced placement and/or credit upon entering university, along with an appropriate score on an AP exam, thereby saving Arkansas families time and money on college.

鈥淭he 30th anniversary celebrates an important milestone: recognizing what has been at the core of every Advanced Placement Summer Institute for 30 years,鈥� said Lori Delk, advanced placement professional development associate. 鈥淭hat is bringing together teachers from around the state to get the best training they can receive in teaching AP courses, and thereby raising the level of rigor in Arkansas classrooms.鈥�

This summer, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock hosted more than 750 teachers during three sessions in June and July. These included 545 Arkansas public and charter school teachers, 11 private school teachers, and 198 teachers from out of state. AP classes covered English Language, English Literature, Calculus, U.S. History, World History, Human Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, Computer Science, Psychology, European History, Art and Design, Physics, Spanish, Environmental Science, and U.S. Government.

鈥淲e feel so fortunate to work with our esteemed colleagues in the Jodie Mahony Center and support gifted education in Arkansas,鈥� said Dr. Rachel Eells, Windgate Foundation Endowed Director of the School of Education at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淭hank you to all our educators for lending your expertise to high schoolers and committing to lifelong learning, building intellectual capital in your community, and challenging your students and yourselves. Thank you for taking some time to make yourself a better learner so your students will become better learners.鈥�

In the past 15 years, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Advanced Placement Summer Institute has trained more than 12,000 teachers. During the week, consultants serve as summer institute faculty, sharing best teaching practices for instructing high school students who are taking advanced placement courses. The training includes 30 hours of instruction, and participating teachers receive professional development credit for their work.

The AP Summer Institute is supported by a grant from the Arkansas Department of Education. The grant enables 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to provide Arkansas public school teachers who teach AP with funding to cover the cost of registration.

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