Federal Way Public Schools Academic Acceleration Program Fast Facts
- Beginning in fall 2010, middle and high school students who meet standard on state standardized tests are automatically enrolled in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge Program classes.
- The number of students enrolled in advanced classes nearly doubled when the new policy was implemented.
- The composition of advanced classes now better reflects the ethnic diversity of the district.
- 94 percent of students enrolled in advanced classes got a C or better in all of their first semester grades.
- About 2.6 percent of students enrolled in advanced classes opted out of the program – a number of those students opted out for non-advanced classes, but a significant number left the program because of a move out of district.
- Of the 15,000 grades issued this semester in advanced classes, only 3 percent were below a C.
- According to admissions representatives, students who have been enrolled in more rigorous course work such as IB, AP, and Cambridge are more likely to be successful in university level work. Advanced coursework also positively impacts admission.
- The number of 11th- and 12th- grade students taking at least one advanced class jumped by 72 percent since the implementation of the Academic Acceleration Program.
- The number of minority 11th-and 12th-grade students taking at least one advanced class jumped by 76 percent.
- In the 2009 / 2010 School Year:
- of 2,951 total 11th- and 12th-grade students in Federal Way Public Schools, 1,214 (41%) of them were enrolled in advanced classes
- of 1,892 ethnic minority 11th- and 12th-grade students in Federal Way Public Schools, 670 (35%) were enrolled in advanced classes.
- In the 2010 / 2011 School Year:
- of 3,098 total 11th- and 12th-grade students in Federal Way Public Schools, 2,090 (67%) were enrolled in advanced classes
- of 1,945 ethnic minority 11th- and 12th-grade students in Federal Way Public Schools, 1,178 (61%) were enrolled in advanced classes.