AP Biology
Experience Interactive and Rewarding Professional Development
Learn AP instructional best practices and strategies that lead to student success in the classroom.
Registration for APSI 2023 has closed. If you would like to be notified when APSI 2024 registration opens, please fill out the form below. Thank you!
Course at a Glance
Format:
Live-Online and Asynchronous
New & Experienced Combined
Length:
4 days, Monday - Thursday
Dates and Times:
2024 TBD
Be Notified When 2024 Registration Opens
Program Hours:
32 Contact Hours
Price:
$550 Standard Registration Fee
$600 Late Registration Fee
College Board APSI Materials
College Board APSI materials are included in your registration fee. To provide greater accessibility, we will be offering the College Board materials electronically. The cost of electronic and hard copy materials are the same.
Workshop Overview
The AP Biology program changed recently with new Course and Exam Descriptions (CEDs). The emphasis of the course has moved from teaching for knowledge to teaching for understanding. Students are less responsible for memorizing facts and details and are more responsible for being able to answer questions such as what, where, why, how, and when.
The Biology CED has eight content units with suggestions of pacing (number of days) and they show the percent of coverage of each unit on the next exam. A much higher emphasis is placed on the six science skills.
The AP national exam has changed. Some of the changes include: dropping the grid-in questions (but having calculation questions in the multiple-choice), having 18 points in 2 long essays, having 16 points in 4 short essays, and having a master grading rubric which shows where all of the points will come from on every essay question. The essay exams focus on the application of science skills rather than focusing on the memorization of content. 2020 was the first test under the new format, and APSI workshop participants will spend time looking at the free response questions and grading rubrics as well as discussing what was learned from the administration of the new exam.
What You Will Learn
- Learn how to utilize the new Course and Exam Description (CED) document that shows all of the topics covered in AP Biology
- Learn how to pace the eight units and their relative weights on the national AP Biology exam
- Learn about the six Science Skills and how to incorporate them into your course
- Learn labs and how to incorporate them into your course
How You Will Benefit
- Utilize the Course and Exam Description (CED) document
- Learn the difference between Teaching for Knowledge versus Teaching for Understanding
- Know the Quantitative Statistics required for AP Biology
- Have a bundle of lab options from low tech to high tech
How Online Workshops Will Work
No one wants to sit and watch a 32-hour long webinar, so we are working closely with our consultants to develop a modified course schedule that allows you greater flexibility, but still gives you the knowledge and skills you need.
Live-online instruction will be conducted through Zoom while asynchronous learning assignments will be managed through Canvas, the University’s learning management system (LMS).
Once you register, we will provide you with more details on how to access the platforms as well as your materials.
To register, please visit our registration portal.
Meet the Instructor
Kelly Hartzell
Kelly Hartzell earned her B.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech, where she discovered her love for genetics. She continued her studies as a graduate teaching fellow at Georgia Tech and completed her M.S. in Applied Biology with a concentration in cancer genetics. Her graduate research landed her a lab manager position at the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, where she worked in respiratory biology and the mouse knock-out core. She then moved into education and completed her teacher training and licensure with UNC Chapel Hill. Kelly has taught AP Biology and AP Environmental Science at Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina and has taught biology at Wake Technical Community College. She is currently the department chair of science at the NC Leadership Academy in the Triad and has served as an ACT science item writer and AP Biology exam reader. She spends her free time reading science fiction and baking with her two small children. Her current course schedule includes teaching Pre-AP Biology, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, and SAT Math Prep.
How to Register
To register, please visit our registration portal. Attendees will need to register using their College Board login credentials.
If paying by check or purchase order, CPE staff will follow up with an invoice. Please reference invoice number on check.
If you have questions or need assistance registering, please contact [email protected] or 423-425-4344.
Frequently Asked Questions
See Frequently Asked Questions →