Eight months of study for three hours of testing. Eighty multiple choice questions with three essays. Advanced Placement exams are notoriously difficult, but students in the 2023-34 AP Environmental Science class at Holyoke High School North Campus accepted the challenge head on.
Six of the nine students in Traci Cormier’s Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science course earned a 3 or higher on the AP test, marking their understanding of the material as “qualified” or better—which means they could receive college credit for their high school coursework. This cohort of Holyoke juniors and seniors had an average score of 3.22, which was higher than the Massachusetts average of 2.97 and the national average of 2.8 among students who took this same exam in 2024.
AP courses are a national program, typically taught over multiple semesters beginning at the start of the school year, with exams administered by the American College Board annually in May that combine multiple choice and free-response questions. The exams are graded on a scale of 1-5, with 3 being qualified, 4 being well qualified, and 5 being extremely well qualified. AP scores are reported to students and educators in July.
Holyoke High School North offers AP Environmental Science every other year. The majority of students taking the course are enrolled in the Engineering and Life Sciences (ELS) academy. One track within ELS is Environmental and Life Sciences, where students explore the growing fields of biological sciences, healthcare, nutrition, and sustainable practices. In addition to AP Environmental Science, HHS North offers 11 other AP courses in a variety of subjects.
Mrs. Cormier attributes her students’ high scores this year to a variety of factors. Most of the 2024 cohort had the advantage of taking biology and environmental science courses in-person, instead of remotely like the 2022 cohort did because of the pandemic. Being in the classroom each day created a stronger science background for students, she noted. Additionally, Mrs. Cormier adjusted her teaching methods and classroom practices to more closely emulate the college environment. She was more firm with students on meeting deadlines, which set the tone for greater ownership over their own learning and greater accountability. She also ensured that students were provided more time to grapple with the content, rather than passively listening. For example, students practiced writing free responses often, which was critical to developing their writing skills and integrating their knowledge.
“The students were dedicated,” said Mrs. Cormier. “They wanted to do well. They studied and worked hard. I’m very proud of them. They blew me out of the water with their performance on the exam.”
After the results came in, Mrs. Cormier sent each student a postcard. For the students who scored a 3 or higher on the test, it was a note of congratulations. For the students who did not score at least a 3, she commended them for trying their best and reminded them to be proud about the content they learned and the skills they developed during the class.
In addition to teaching AP Environmental Science at HHS North, Mrs. Cormier also teaches 10th grade biology for students in the college prep and honors classes, and in alternating years, AP Biology. She is entering her fifth year teaching in HPS. Prior to teaching, Mrs. Cormier attended the University of Colorado to study biology, then went on to work in clinical research in the health and beauty industry. After moving to Massachusetts, she worked in the organic chemistry lab at UMASS Amherst before completing her master’s degree.