There is much excitement on the Palmetto High School campus. Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program will be offered to students. AICE is a program from the University of Cambridge in England that allows students to take challenging classes and earn credits toward college. With AICE, students are allowed to focus on their strength because they can choose which AICE class to take. There are three different groups of courses a student can choose from. One is mathematics and science which includes classes such as biology, mathematics, and chemistry. Languages is another category which includes English language, Spanish, and Latin. The final group is arts and humanities which has courses such as economics, U.S. history, and English literature. AICE classes allow students to get in-depth with what they are learning and understand why something has happened instead of just memorizing facts.
In adding the AICE program to the school, Palmetto hopes to retain some of the approximately 700 kids that choice out of the school. Currently Palmetto has Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and will still keep some of them even with AICE, but must go academically against Southeast’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program and Manatees’ AP plus program.
To be a part of this prestigious program, the school will look at a student’s GPA, test scores, and discipline. In 9th and 10th grades, the students will be able to start out in Pre- AICE classes to prepare them for the more challenging AICE classes. In 11th and 12th grades, the pupils can take AICE courses which will give them college credit if they earn a score from an A to an E. To stay in the program the student must maintain a 3.0 unweighted average. Students that earn credits in at least one course from the three groups will earn an AICE diploma. That allows students that have their 75 community service hours to earn Bright Future’s Florida Academic Scholar Award which pays $125 per credit hour for a four-year school this year. Those who don’t have the community service hours will receive the Florida Medallion Scholars that pays $94 per credit hour. In passing these classes it will save students many dollars considering the rising costs of college by being able to receive scholarships and already earning credit for a class.
The administration is extremely excited about the distinguished program coming to Palmetto and how it will make the students better.
“I think it will prepare them for life there after,” said Palmetto’s principal Willie Clark.
The staff is also thrilled and intrigued by the new program.
“I’m excited and I need to learn more about it,” said teacher Heather Wallace.
Senior Huda Saleh, who is in the top 4 percent of her class, wishes that AICE had been at Palmetto during her time at the school.
“I like it because I can select a subject that pertains to my area of strength,” Saleh said.
With the addition of AICE level classes to Palmetto’s supportive teachers, it’s sure to be a success for students here at Palmetto and after high school.
