I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Jan. 28, 1997
Bemidji High School's Advanced Placement students are scoring higher and learning more in lower grades than other Minnesota schools, Advanced Placement Director Mike Munson told the Bemidji School Board Monday night.
In the board's monthly "Share the Pride" presentation, Munson explained to the board what the Advanced Placement program was and how Bemidji High School students fared in last year's College Board examinations.
The AP program offers high schools across the nation an opportunity to teach college level studies to secondary students, who may receive advanced college placement, credit or both, he said.
Currently, the High School offers seven Advanced Placement course, and in all but two in 1996 Bemidji students averaged scores above both the Minnesota and national averages.
The tests are graded on a 1 to 5 scale, with a 5 score representing a student who is "extremely well qualified" to be advanced in those courses in college, 4 representing those who are "well qualified" and a 3 representing those who are "qualified."
A score of 3, Munson said, is what the Bemidji program's goal is because most colleges will grant some type of advancement or credit for a 3. Scores below 3 will more than likely not gain a student advancement.
In their most outstanding category on the 1996 test, Bemidji students averaged a 4.37 on the psychology exam, while the Minnesota average was 3.09 and the national average was 3.28. In the categories English literature, chemistry, U.S. history and calculus, the students also scored above other Minnesota and nationwide students. In only European history and language and composition did the Bemidji students score below the other two averages.
Overall, the Bemidji students' average was 3.15. The statewide average was 2.88, and the nationwide average was 2.99.
"From my perspective as a teacher, it's really great to see how our kids did compared to Minnesota and national averages," Munson said. "Looking at this, I think we have a lot of reasons to be happy."
Another Bemidji Advanced Placement teacher said the results are even more impressive considering Bemidji sophomores are taking the test, while across the nation mostly seniors take the test.
Another teacher said there are more students who take the AP courses in Bemidji than there are ones taking the test, so more students are benefiting from the classes than just the ones testing.
Munson said he learned, from literature he has received from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., Advanced Placement course are becoming increasingly important in gaining admission to colleges. The AP courses have overtaken the high school SAT and ACT tests as the No. 1 criteria colleges use in judging students.
"It's not the only thing colleges look at," he said, "but it is a very important part of the mix."
This year's Bemidji Advanced Placement students will be testing throughout May.
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