AP enrollment remains strong

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Despite the introduction of the AICE courses, AP classes remain popular among students

Steady Expansion: Both AP and AICE course enrollment have increased since the 2022-2023 school year. While the introduction of AICE courses was expected to impact AP populations, both programs are thriving together. Graph by Sonia Gidwani

By: Sonia Gidwani

For a typical hard-working student, their schedule will usually consist of honors courses and possibly even a few Advanced Placement (AP) classes. With hundreds of these scholars on campus, progressive programs have been well in demand and have even expanded in range for more variety of course options throughout the years. However, with the Bobcat administration’s introduction of the Cambridge University’s Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma in 2021, these students gained a new opportunity for advanced courses.

Although College Board’s AP courses have a well-respected reputation across the country, AICE courses quickly grew in popularity and have only expanded in range since their introduction.. The wider variety of electives and new core class options, as well as the opportunity to earn a full Florida Bright Futures scholarship, attracted hundreds of students. In response, uncertainty was prevalent as a drop in class enrollment for AP courses was a large possibility.

Bobcat administration’s AICE debut in 2021-2022 first only offered Thinking Skills and English General Paper. The addition of General Paper allowed for freshmen and sophomores to have the opportunity to earn college credit before being able to take AP English Literature or AP English Language, and Thinking Skills provided the ability to fulfill elective credit. “The AICE program seemed like a good opportunity to get college credits outside of taking AP classes,” said senior AICE diploma student Emma Stefanini.“General Paper gave me a head start outside of taking AP English courses.”

Both the AICE and AP program allow students to earn college credit. Earning the AICE diploma requires completing seven courses in certain subjects, and in doing so, students will earn the Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS), which is equivalent to a full Bright Futures scholarship. The FAS Scholarship covers tuition for four years at any Fla. public university, saving students roughly between $19 thousand to $30 thousand.

Additionally, the AICE program minimizes the graduation requirements for students, waiving HOPE and online course requirements. AICE typically has two or three final exams, all written response questions, compared to AP’s traditional one, typically containing both multiple choice and written response questions. While AICE is recognized internationally, it is considered less competitive than AP by colleges.

“For AICE exams, the pass rate is much higher than for AP and getting a higher score is more likely,” said senior Isabella LeRose. “This factor can help many students since fear of not passing and cramming all this information into their mind negatively affects them, but with AICE classes there is more ‘wiggle room’ and it is less stressful.”

“AICE Lit and AP Lit are not in direct competition. AP Lit is exclusively offered to 12th. AICE is mostly for 11th. Although they have similar titles, the reading lists are different.”
AP and AICE Literature teacher Richard Borish

With the 2022-2023 school year, new AICE classes were introduced, including English Language, Spanish Language, Marine Science, Sociology, Media Studies and Global Perspectives. New options for core classes, such as English Language and Marine Science, allowed for more opportunities to earn college credit and fulfill graduation requirements. New electives, including Sociology, Media Studies and Global Perspectives, allowed for students to take new unique and interesting classes while earning college credit. Because AICE is widely recognized as easier than AP, students have flocked to these classes, for reasons such as college credit and a weighted GPA boost.

“AICE classes are better in general because AICE classes are easier and weighted the same as AP classes, so it’s less work for the same reward,” said AICE Diploma student senior Anish Maram.

The third year of the AICE diploma program, the 2023-2024 school year, sees new classes, including Travel and Tourism, Environmental Management, and English Literature, and International History. These classes have attracted students looking for an alternative way to earn college credit, or a course with difficulty between honors and AP. The AICE English Literature course has especially gained traction as students seek to avoid the “more difficult” AP exams for core classes.

“I saw the past exams for AP [English Literature] and the questions were very open-ended and can be interpreted differently. I prefer questions that are more straightforward or completely free like the AICE [English Literature] exam. Questions that are open to interpretation stress me out so much as I’m not sure what’s required and how I need to word my answers to earn the points. If I overthink what I need to put then my answers become unclear and messy,” said LeRose.

As this program is still in its beginning stages, the expansion and progression of the AICE curriculum is still undetermined. While many students may leave AP classes or take a mix of both curriculums, the demand may dissipate as the novelty subsides. However, the future of the AICE program and AP courses at West Broward are likely to change as students decide which courses they prefer.

“I think some [students] are choosing to pursue the Cambridge Diploma,” said AP Literature and AICE Literature teacher Richard Borish. “It is a new program at West Broward. There is a natural excitement and curiosity. Some students will inevitably decide the AICE program is a good fit, but I am confident the well-established AP courses will continue to thrive. AP and AICE are similar in many ways, but they are not the same. The programs can, and should, coexist.”