Brunswick High School named to the Advanced Placement school honor roll

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick High School was included on the College Board's Advanced Placement school honor roll for the 2024-25 school year to recognize the district expanding opportunities for students to enroll in Advanced Placement courses. Advanced Placement courses give students the chance to earn college credit while they are still in high school by earning a certain score or higher on an exam at the end of the year. At Brunswick High School, there are classes in language arts, science, math, art and history. "It speaks to our emphasis on building a robust (Advanced Placement) program with our teachers, our high school counselors and administration," Director of Instruction and Innovation Pat Geschke said. "We want to be as inclusive with it as possible. We want to draw in as many kids and encourage kids to take rigorous coursework." According to Brunswick City Schools, 41 percent of graduating seniors have taken one Advanced Placement course in high school, and seven percent of graduating seniors have taken five or more Advanced Placement courses in high school, with at least one being taken in ninth or tenth grade. "If you look over the past five years or so, we've dramatically increased the number of kids who have taken (Advanced Placement) tests, and our average scores continue to go up, which is a great thing," Geschke said. Last year, a new course was added called Advanced Placement seminar, which takes the place of a 10th-grade English class, he said. Next year, pending board approval, the district is interested in adding Advanced Placement research as well. "We want to encourage our kids to experience rigorous coursework before they move on to either college or the military or the workforce," Geschke said. "Embedded within rigorous coursework, I think would be some important skills that would translate into success post-high school. Collaboration, communication, problem solving, all of those are inherent in an (Advanced Placement) class." Brunswick High School students can also earn college credit through other programs like College Credit Plus through local community colleges and the College-Level Examination Program, which does not require students to take a test. "I am incredibly proud to serve a district where so many of our high school students challenge themselves with college-level coursework," Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said. "Their willingness to embrace academic challenges, persevere and succeed in Advanced Placement courses is a reflection of their hard work and self-determination." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.