Reid Saaris, Thomas Randle, Shelley Redinger, Ron Severson, Broderick Johnson, Marcelo Cavazos, David Larson, Christy Perry and Michael Cowan at the Lead Higher event.
Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Randle was one of six superintendents from across the nation recognized in Washington, D.C. for his commitment to “Lead Higher.” The Lead Higher event, hosted by Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, recognized the educators for their work to increase the number of underrepresented students participating in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The superintendents also participated in a panel discussion, describing their efforts to find the students missing from AP classes.
Last school year, Lamar CISD implemented EOS programs at Lamar Consolidated and Terry high schools. The EOS program is designed to examine AP offerings on each campus and then use strategies to find underrepresented groups of students and encourage their participation in AP courses. “In Lamar CISD, we want to ensure all of our students have equal access to our most rigorous courses,” said Randle. “What we’ve found by working with EOS is that hundreds of our students were more than capable of excelling in AP courses. They just never had the information or encouragement to enroll.”
In just one year, Lamar CISD added 373 AP students at Lamar Consolidated and Terry high schools. This year, the district is expanding EOS strategies to Foster and George Ranch high schools. The EOS program is only part of Lamar CISD’s dedication to rigorous academics. The District is one of 130 school districts in the United States – and one of only 21 in Texas – placed on the Gaston Caperton Opportunity Honor Roll. Lamar CISD was also one of 425 school districts in the U.S. and Canada – and only of only 25 in Texas – being honored by the College Board with placement on the 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll.