Dan Sharkovitz, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School English department chairman, was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) English language and composition examination. The AP program allows high students to take college level classes while they are still in high school.

The AP reading, held in Daytona Beach, Fla., in June, is a unique forum in which academic dialogue between secondary school and college educators is fostered. “The reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer,” said the vice president of College Board’s Advanced Placement program, Trevor Packer. “It fosters professionalism, allows for the exchange of ideas, and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are very grateful for the contributions of talented educators like Mr. Sharkovitz.”

In addition to exam scoring, Mr. Sharkovitz received training in the scoring standards, and how to use those standards to score student responses. He met with members of the AP development committee responsible for revising the AP course description and developing the exam. Finally, participating educators meet college faculty and AP teachers to discuss achievement, assessment and teaching strategies.