The academic success is continuing at Wetumpka High School.
The school recently announced the school’s 192 Advanced Placement students garnered 140 qualifying scores.
“It’s our highest percentage in five years of AP classes at Wetumpka,” principal Kyle Futral said. “It’s amazing because we have nearly 10% of the student body taking AP classes.”
Qualifying scores on AP exams translate to college credits at four year schools. It means some students can start college as a sophomore or better.
A score of three, four or five is a qualifying score. Scores of one and two are not.
This year several students qualified in three and four AP classes. One qualified in five.
“Those students will be announced by AP as honors students at a later date,” Futral said.
Wetumpka AP coordinator Allison Britt said the AP classes are still very useful for students who do not get qualifying scores on tests at the end of the school year.
“My daughter didn't qualify on all of hers,” Britt said. “She had some twos, but at Auburn, she's been very successful and been on the Dean's list.”
Both Britt and Futrual said the AP classes and their exams teach students how to study, manage time and interpret information and questions.
“The rigor is unbelievable,” Futral said. “The students have to really work.”
Furtral was a biology teacher who taught AP Biology. The training for the program had Futral take the AP Biology test.
“It’s a true comprehensive exam,” Futral said. “It would cover biology from four years at a college level.”
Five years ago 71 qualifying scores were garnered by Wetumpka students, 69 in 2022, 96 in 2023 and 122 last year.
This year nine of the 16 AP programs were above state and national scoring averages. It is a mark Futral likes.
“Our only academic accountability comes from the ACT, as far as our report card,” Futral said. “It’s the way our school is perceived. This is another measure to look at but AP classes help students get ready to take the ACT and likely score better.”
AP classes started at Wetumpka High School in 1996 with History and English. This year 10 teachers taught 16 different AP classes and the school will add another AP program this next school year.
“Interest in AP classes is really growing,” Britt said. “We had 20 10th-grade students take AP Seminar. All had qualifying scores.”
For the upcoming school year, 50 students are enrolled in AP Seminar.
“We keep getting more kids interested in AP,” Britt said. “We hope to have more course offerings too.”
