All 4s and 5s: A Guide to Teaching and Leading Advanced Placement Programs

Passing “the test” is only one part of this story. When Andrew Sharos began teaching Advanced Placement US History (APUSH), the school’s track record on AP exams left something to be desired. The school scores averaged a 2.7 out of 5, and only 18 percent of the APUSH students passed the exam the year before. In his first year of teaching APUSH, 92 percent of his students passed the exam. And in years that followed, 100 percent of his APUSH students passed the exam. With a national average near 50 percent on the APUSH exam, the fact that every student in Sharos’s class passed is pretty incredible. But there is more to this story: The odds are stacked against the students in his suburban-Chicago school. Financial hardship, full-time jobs, and hunger are a “normal” part of life for many of his students. Despite the daily challenges they face, these students are learning they can beat the odds. It’s a heartwarming, unlikely success story proving that, with the proper support, every student can experience academic success. All 4s and 5s is a practical guide to teaching AP courses and leading AP programs. With twenty-five classroom strategies and twenty-five program strategies, All 4s and 5s equips you to develop a culture of academic and personal success.

Andrew Sharos has spent his entire career as a high school educator at West Leyden High School near Chicago. Andrew's school won the AP "District of the Year" honors in 2014. He earned his undergraduate degree from Marquette University, his master's degree from Olivet Nazarene University, and his endorsement in School Business from Northern Illinois University.

Andrew has been a teacher, coach, and building administrator. He is the founder and CEO of the Village Project Consulting Group, which provides professional development to schools to improve their AP programs and their overall building culture. He has keynoted and presented at conferences across the country. Andrew has also authored two manuals with the Bureau of Education and Research and Institute for Educational Development, both focused on using technology and flipped classroom methods in social studies. In 2014, he was a finalist for National History Teacher of the Year. In 2018, Andrew was named the winner of College Board's "Distinguished Service Award," given to a forceful spokesperson for important educational and societal goals.

Andrew is the moderator of #APTeach, a national twitter chat focused on bringing the AP community together. The chat runs at 8PM CST on the first Wednesday of each Month.