Developing a plan to support mathematics students with advanced placement potential at Indian River High School

One of the many goals of schools is to have each student reach his/her fullest potential. One way schools challenge the accelerated learners is through the advanced placement (AP) program. Many able students at Indian River High School (IRHS) are choosing to enroll in college prep math courses instead of enrolling in honors and AP math. When students are not adequately challenged, they don't have the opportunity to reach their top potential.;This Executive Position Paper examines the current honors and AP math system at IRHS and compares this system to other schools in the state and nation. The focus is to see what supports can be in place to encourage students to enroll in the honors courses to prepare them for AP math. The Indian River School District wants higher and more diverse AP enrollment; the only way to achieve this is to place better supports for students in years leading up to the senior AP math class.;The honors and AP systems at Seaford Senior High School, Providence High School, and University Park Campus School are discussed as well as the best practices found in literature. The best practices found to promote student retention in challenging and AP courses are: educating parents, creating a college culture, tutoring, summer school, broader honors enrollment, identifying gifted underachievers, and offering online AP courses. Recommendations from this list of best practices are tailored to the IRHS setting.