Preparing students for college and university is an important goal for Central High School’s principal, Kelly Slusser, but she needs students in her school in order to do that. Data provided by Ms. Slusser showed that Central High School has the largest number of incoming freshmen (119 students) who are choosing an education program that does not include Central. It’s a trend Ms. Slusser wants to reverse.
The Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program, developed by Cambridge University, with its emphasis on accelerated education across seven subjects, could be one way of making that happen. Ms. Slusser presented the program to the school board at their workshop on March 27, 2018. Though the AICE program has been widely used in more than 10,000 schools around the world for the past 50 years, it has only taken root in Florida since 2001. It is used by 90 high schools in the state.
The international emphasis and intensive studies offered would allow students to earn college credit for subjects in which they successfully complete examinations, beginning in their freshman year. If students meet the standards of the program, which include passing the seven subject areas and the examinations for each, they are awarded a special AICE diploma. Students who pass courses, but have not earned the AICE diploma, will still earn the college credits associated with the courses.
The standards are high, and students are challenged to work at or near the college level. The GPA is also weighted like AP or IB programs, at 5.0. Among the benefits, Slusser said, is the flexibility of being able to choose from more than 100 courses to suit the individual school. This would allow the student to coordinate AICE courses with their CTE (Career and Technical Education) path.
The four major skills that AICE supports are subject content, learning skills, critical thinking, and problem solving. Another benefit is that AICE diplomas are accepted at all Florida colleges and universities. Universities and colleges elsewhere, both internationally and in the US, also accept the diplomas.
Florida Bright Futures Scholarships have become increasingly more difficult for even good students to attain. Students who earn AICE diplomas in all seven subject areas will be awarded the Bright Futures Scholarships at the 100% level, providing they also have completed the necessary community service hours.
Critical thinking and writing skills are developed as they progress through the program. Students can tailor the courses to their interests. The AICE diploma also opens the doors to a broader range of colleges and universities, including Ivy League schools. Some schools will offer additional scholarships to students with an AICE diploma.
Because the courses will be similar to the AP courses currently offered, the teachers should also be able to adjust to the new curriculum fairly quickly. Ideally, students could finish the courses and pass the exams at the end of 11th grade, and their senior year would consist of electives or any courses they need to retake. The tests are written with an international focus, so the pass rate is 10-15% higher than is typically found in AP course exams.
According to Ms. Slusser, Cambridge also offers “feeder” programs, with an opportunity to expand to middle school and to elementary school. The high school’s close association with West Hernando Middle School and Pine Grove Elementary is another reason to make Central the ideal starting point for the AICE program.
The five-year funding plan Ms. Slusser proposed draws on approximately 20% of the available AP funds, with the shortfall being covered by the district. The application fee is paid only in the first year, and registration fees for the courses that year would be prorated. The FTE (Full Time Equivalent) for each course exam per student is .16.
Diplomas are .30 FTE. As more students participate, more of the cost will be reimbursed.
Beginning with the third year, funding should be almost entirely paid through FTE AICE money. Over the five year period, the budget proposal shows that 80% of the cost would come from the internal AP funding, with the district paying the balance of 20%. Beyond the five years, it should be self-sustaining.
The School Board gave a consensus to move forward and the proposal will be brought before the board for a vote on April 10, 2018.