Upper School Spanish Teacher Guides Students To Perfect Scores On AP Test![]()
Upper School Spanish Teacher Esteban Longoria saw 100 percent of his Spanish IV students score a five, the highest score achievable, on their AP Spanish Language And Culture Exam last spring. A grade of five is very significant, as it earns the student a course credit when they enroll at many colleges or universities in the country.
Having all students score a five is an accomplishment very few teachers can say they’ve made. Mr. Longoria attributes this success to the strong students he teaches at Kinkaid and to a talented Spanish department that prepares the students well. Mr. Longoria visits regularly with the teachers in each grade to help coordinate the curriculum.
Starting in 2014, the exam was changed to include Culture as the main focus in order to reflect our globalized society.
He does not employ any unconventional teaching methods to help students prep for the exam; rather, he varies the activities done in class during the year so they’re able to absorb the language at a high level.
“I also teach some strategies to make sure that they’re relaxed. Providing sufficient practices from all of the sections of the AP Exam, makes them feel more confident and prepared,” says Longoria.
A competitor at heart, Longoria also feels he was able to bring out the best in his students by posting the scores of previous classes. “I was also a gymnastics coach so I feel like they got little motivational speeches from the coach in me,” says Longoria. “Now that the bar has been set pretty high last year, it’s going to be tough to match that.”
Traditionally, Kinkaid students perform exceptionally well on national AP exams. Of the 586 AP exams administered during the 2014-15 school year, 93 percent of students scored a three or higher, while 71 percent scored a four or a five. A grade of three earns credit at some colleges, a four at more schools.