YONKERS, NY — September 22, 2026 — Eighth grade students at School 30 are getting a head start on the road to college.  School 30 is the first school in the Yonkers Public School District to offer Pre-Advanced Placement courses before high school.

“We are going to lead this effort,” said School 30 Principal Michael Shapiro.  “We believe we are the right school to lead this based on our proficiency results.  From 2021 to 2025 our math and English scores increased exponentially.”

Official College Board Pre-AP courses are traditionally offered in high school to grades 9 and 10, but high-performing middle schools can implement more demanding instruction for students who are ready to meet the challenge.

School 30 now offers Pre-AP Algebra I, English I, and Biology.  Next year, the hope is to expand the offerings with a language course and a Social Studies course.  By stepping up the rigor earlier, Shapiro predicts that more students will earn a score of four or five on AP exams in high school, thus making them more likely to receive college credit.

As New York State moves away from mandatory Regents examinations for graduation, AP courses will serve as an alternative pathway to a diploma.  “I think we need to be forward thinking,” said Shapiro.  “We need to be proactive, understanding what’s going on around us, not just as a community in the City of Yonkers, but also in New York State… Pre-AP will give students a strong foundation for high school, that will be connected to the new graduation initiative—the six pillars of the Portrait of a Graduate.”