As upperclassmen at the high school seek to take their literary prowess to greater heights, a common disappointment lingers among them: the absence of Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition and AP Literature classes offered at the high school. This marks English as the sole core subject of the four major disciplines (Math, Science, History and English) at the high school to lack a corresponding AP.
Although students and teachers alike recognized the collective demand for an AP English class, it was English teacher Nicholas Rothstein who decided to take initiative. There had been some sporadic after-school sessions in the past, but no similar opportunities had arisen in the last decade until Rothstein began his own preparatory sessions last year. Collaborating with the chair of the English Department, John Andrews, they devised a plan to revitalize the after-school AP Language and AP Literature preparatory class.
Rothstein said that he initially offered his help to the African American and Latino Scholars Program, with the goal of providing opportunities for students of color to prepare for the AP tests.
“It was in this whole quest to make the school more equitable and to give students access to all different ways to find success. I wasn’t sure AP English was a key to do this before, but I am very sure of it now,” Rothstein said.
Rothstein then extended his offer to all interested students when he discovered there were nearly one hundred students signed up for the exam. To accommodate larger groups and refine the class structure, Rothstein attended an AP training camp in Vermont during this summer. This year, the after-school sessions occur once a week for each course: AP Literature meets Wednesdays during Faculty Collaboration, and AP Language and Composition meets Thursdays after school.
Senior Eamon Boshell, who took both the AP Language and Composition and AP Literature exams last year, spoke highly of Rothstein’s prep-class. He said that once the exam rolled around in May, he felt comfortable with all the questions and prompts.
“Mr. Rothstein was super helpful and it was super beneficial to both learn what’s on the exam and to have practice doing it with all the materials he provided,” Boshell said. “He was a super selfless person; he gave us pizza every week out of his own pocket. I respect him so much for taking that time out of his day.”
Despite taking both exams, Boshell attended only the AP Language preparation sessions. According to Rothstein, attendees can participate when they are available, and missing some sessions does not have detrimental consequences.
“The bottom line is this: if students can make it once a week—and even if they miss a few weeks in between—I show them the techniques, they take the work home and I’ll collect it and look at it for sure, but they aren’t getting graded for it. The students themselves decide how much they want to show me.” Rothstein said.
Boshell also acknowledged the effectiveness of English teachers in preparing students for the exam and advised against being too stressed about it. He estimates that he spent only a couple of hours per week studying for the exam as the test date approached.
“It sounds daunting to take an AP without a real course, but you’re pretty much doing the same thing through your English class,” Boshell said. “I would say you have the opportunity to make the sessions what you want. It was very interactive in the way that [Rothstein] didn’t just give you things to do and you had to do it; if you had questions, you could ask.”
Senior Mariana Sanchez-Dahl, who took AP Literature last year, described the lessons as a balanced blend of instruction and independent work, said that the skills acquired through the experience extended beyond the exam.
“We went over each essay and format and did several timed practices. He’d explain the concepts to us, and once we got familiar with it, we’d go and do the multiple choice alone. Then, he would go over it with us and explain what we got wrong,” Sanchez-Dahl said. “I think AP English in general helped me with analyzing different types of texts and I learned how to write a quick, strong essay.”
Sanchez-Dahl said that she encourages others to take on the challenge, even if they remain hesitant.
“I wanted to challenge myself by taking AP Literature,” Sanchez-Dahl said. “My thought process basically was, if I get a bad score, there’s no harm, so why not? I definitely suggest that other people do it too.”
