ISSUE

Clear Creek ISD's Clear Brook High School (CBHS) counselors are actively promoting enrollment in advanced placement (AP) classes on level 2 even when students have never taken that AP class on level 1. CBHS also refuses to address counselors who purposely ignore student concerns about the difficulty of AP classes and who blatantly ignore opportunities to inform students about the irreversible enrollment (i.e. no drop policy). Why? Because it fills AP class rosters, but it also places bright students at extreme risk of destroying their GPA! These practices violate the following State Board of Education Commission (SBEC) Code of Ethics provisions:

Standard 1.1. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district, educational institution, educator preparation program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and its certification process.

Standard 3.2. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the student or minor.

WE CAN FIX IT! Let's urge CCISD to: 

1) Mandate that all AP classes have logical prerequisites and educational foundations that align with college standards. 

2) Implement a best practice policy requiring all counselors to review the no drop policy with a student every time a student seeks to enroll in any class that has the no drop rule.

3) Implement the requirement for parent approval before finalizing any scheduling requests that include no drop policies and/ or non-traditional prerequisite guidelines. 

This change will foster a fair educational environment and support academic success across the board.

BACKSTORY

My daughter, Carmen, recently had a meeting with her counselor to finalize her classes for her senior year at Clear Brook High School in Clear Creek ISD of Friendswood, TX (Houston Metro). When she learned she allegedly needed one more science credit to graduate, she asked about taking Aquatic Science. However, to her surprise, the counselor informed her that her only options were Anatomy and Physiology or AP Physics 2, despite the fact that Carmen had only taken Physics 1 NOT AP Physics 1.

The counselor met with Carmen multiple times and even assisted her in selecting alternates for her schedule in case it became too challenging, WITHOUT EVER DISCUSSING that both of the suggested choices would be PERMANENT. This left Carmen locked into a class for which she is not adequately prepared even after sacrificing her whole summer reviewing Physics 1 notes and tutoring herself in preparation on Khan academy.  To my dismay, even after meeting with the Clear Brook HS administration on 10-1-25 and 10-16-25 they back the counselor's decision to leave Carmen in the dark.

This flawed policy of allowing students to enroll in advanced AP classes without the necessary prerequisites puts students in an unfair position, setting them up for unnecessary stress and potential failure. We must advocate for a revision of the policy in Clear Creek ISD to mandate that students have completed Level 1 AP courses before enrolling in Level 2 AP courses or to simply provide an actual Physics 2 class. 

Clear Creeks ISD's policy ought to prioritize student readiness and their ability to thrive, rather than merely filling seats in advanced classes. Students like Carmen deserve the opportunity to succeed, but without the proper groundwork, they are at a severe disadvantage.

In 2019, the College Board reported that students who take prerequisite courses perform better in AP exams, highlighting the importance of foundational knowledge. Yet, the current policy disregards this data, violates SBEC Code of Ethics Standards 1.1 & 3.2, and jeopardizes the current and future success of many students.

Sign this petition to demand that Clear Creek ISD review and revise their AP course enrollment policies to better serve our students' academic futures.