Highlights

After a rigorous application and screening process, OBI math teacher Steve Grant, received an invitation to be a “reader” for the AP calculus exam. He traveled to a convention center in Kansas City, Missouri, this year’s “reading site,” where he joined math colleagues from across the U.S. for seven intensive days of grading the nation’s AP calculus exams during June, 2022.

“AP” is short for Advanced Placement, a program run by the College Board, a non-profit organization which promotes college readiness for students. Advanced high school students may take AP courses, and at the end of the course take a standardized AP exam, the score of which may result in college credit and/or a bump in their high school GPA. OBI offers several advanced placement classes in addition to dual credit college opportunities.

Grant stated that he looked forward to this opportunity because, “I thought it would be a good experience to be a part of the program. Getting together with math people to do math—this is something I felt that I would enjoy, and I also thought that I could contribute to the process.” Grant was responsible for two problems from the calculus exam and completed over 2,000 tests, grading eight hours each day. While grading, he gained valuable insight for his own teaching. “It gave me an opportunity to see what the students were understanding [and] an indication of how the material was being taught. I saw things that I could apply in my own classroom,” he explained

Grant has been teaching for 35 years, the last 26 years at OBI. Before coming to OBI, he taught at missionary schools in South and Central America. He holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree and is OBI’s advanced math teacher.

Grant enjoyed the experience of grading the AP caluculus exam among fellow math teachers, but noted it was also a refreshing time of professional development. He said, “There were opportunities at meal time to talk to other educators who were, like me, passionate about what they do. We talked about our experience in the classroom, we shared ideas, we shared the titles of must-read books and good websites. Questions would come up about the schools that we were from, and I was able to talk about OBI and the work that we are doing here.”