Student Katie Chase credits her success and the success of the class to the high expectations of her teacher. "Ms. Westcott is an amazing teacher," Chase said. "She got us so well prepared. By the time we got to the test, it was almost easy to do."

Chase also described what makes an AP course experience so special at Gobles High School. "The class was a different format. It was a lot more strict, which meant we had to be more disciplined and prepared for class. The students all had the same mindset: we wanted to excel, so we expected to have a high level of achievement. I loved it." Chase took AP English as a junior, and will graduate with the Class of 2011 next June.

AP English teacher Pam Westcott was quick to credit her students for the success of the course. "These students loved the challenge," she said. "The students were self motivated, and I credit them for rising to the expectations of the class. We've got to emphasize self motivation, and I tell them from day one they are not going to get anywhere if they don't hold themselves to high standards. This group really ate it up."

Westcott pointed out that while the achievement level of this group was outstanding, success in AP English at Gobles High School is nothing new. "Over the years we've had more than 70 students leave AP English with college credit," she said. That number represents literally thousands of dollars of saving for students and families when those students start college already having earned credit in a high school course.

Gobles English Department Chair Corey Harbaugh said that the success of the AP English students can also be traced back to the rigor of the secondary English program. "These students went into AP English having read more novels and written more essays during high school," Harbaugh said. "We were the first school in the area to fully implement the full new state curriculum with higher standards for students, and it's paying off for our students. We are all working to get our students college ready, and those students who end up with Ms. Westcott in AP English are more ready for the challenges she gives them."

The AP class structure challenges high school students with rigorous coursework, equivalent to what students might find in a first or second year college course. Gobles High School offers four AP courses, one in each of the core areas of the curriculum, in history, biology, and calculus, as well as English. Research has long demonstrated that schools that offer AP courses realize a school-wide increase in achievement in every curricular area with the AP option, even for students who never participate in the AP course.

Very few Class C or D high schools offer as many AP options for students as Gobles High School. Coupled with the district's robust college dual-enrollment program, it's clear the district clearly agrees with the state about the importance of college readiness for its graduates.