Willowbrook teacher selected to participate in the College Board’s Annual AP Reading

It might be summer break, but Willowbrook social studies teacher Matt Clapper has been hard at work.

Clapper was recently selected to participate in the College Board’s Annual Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level Reading in AP U.S. History. Each June, AP teachers and college faculty members from throughout the world gather in the U.S. to evaluate and score the free-response sections of the AP exams. AP Readers are high school and college educators who represent many of the world’s leading academic institutions. The AP Reading is a unique forum in which an academic dialogue between educators is fostered and encouraged.

“The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors the world has to offer,” Trevor Packer, Senior Vice President, AP and Instruction at the College Board, said in a press release. “It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Mr. Clapper.”

The AP program enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies – with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both – while still in high school. Through AP courses in 37 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to analyze complex problems, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue – skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Research indicates students who score a 3 or higher on an AP exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students.