For Some Rural Students, Taking More AP Courses Means More Online Learning

Skyleigh D’Ambrosia, 17, loves learning about science. She’s taken pretty much every science class available at her high school in the western Massachusetts town of Athol.

“I want to be a doctor when I’m older,” she said. “So those are just kind of important classes.”

D’Ambrosia wanted to take Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry and AP biology in the fall. At first it didn’t seem like her plan to take these college level courses was going to pan out because her school doesn’t always have the resources to offer a wide variety of advanced science classes. But then she heard that her district is trying something new: some AP science classes will be offered online. D’Ambrosia had mixed feelings about that.

“I’m not going to lie, I was kind of mad,” she said. “I was looking forward to having more classes with our science staff. But I guess if there’s not enough kids interested, then it works.”

Officials at Athol High School typically need about eight students to express interest in an AP course to justify the resources and the teacher’s time.

Read the rest of the story at WBUR’s website.