Meet the College Board Endorsed Consultant for AP Psychology, Nancy Fenton
Nancy Fenton, MA, teaches AP Psychology at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, and
online for the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University. She has taught AP® Psychology
since 2006 and has been a reader for the AP® Psychology exam since 2008, a table leader since 2017, and a
College Board consultant since 2014.
In 2020, she was one of two teachers who provided daily live YouTube AP® Psychology review sessions on the AP® YouTube Channel of the College Board. She earned her BA in
History and Secondary Education at Northeastern Illinois University, an MA in Psychology at National Louis
University, and a second MA in curriculum and instruction with a technology focus, also from National Louis
University. Ms. Fenton was awarded the 2013 American Psychological Association (APA) Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) Excellence in Teaching Award for dynamic teaching and commitment to the advancement of psychology and has presented at regional conferences for AP Psychology teachers. She has previously served as a member of the TOPSS board. She has worked on numerous APA initiatives, including the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula’s performance indicators and several TOPSS Psychology Unit Lesson Plans. Nancy Fenton is the co-author of two editions of the review book AP® Psychology All Access with Jessica Flitter. She has served on the high school educator advisory board for multiple Myers-Dewall AP Psychology textbook editions. She has worked on several other AP® psychology textbooks and test banks, including creating instructor resources and daily lesson plans for Psychology in Your Life 4 th Edition (Gazzaniga/Grison). She is co-author of the new AP Psychology Crash Course book being created for the course redesign that will be available in 2023. She writes for the blog Books for Psychology Class with co-bloggers Jessica Flitter and Laura Brandt. She co-authors the iScore5™ Psych app created for AP® Psychology students to prepare for the exam. Nancy Fenton also teaches AP® United States Government and Politics and co-author the Crash Course AP® United States Government and Politics
review book.
2024 Advanced Placement® Psychology
About the AP® Psychology Summer Institute
This four-day workshop is designed for both new and experienced AP Psychology instructors. It will include course content, planning, and a wide variety of teacher resources that can be used in various educational settings (e.g., traditional, block, online, blended, and flipped). The workshop will highlight the broad themes linking the distinct units to a strong understanding of the discipline. Particular attention will be devoted to effective teaching strategies for supporting the content and building success on the AP exam, including the multiple-choice and the written (free response) portions. Participants will develop a strong understanding of how the free-response questions are graded and learn specific practical techniques to prepare students for this portion of the exam effectively. For each course unit, new materials will be provided, including demonstrations, hands-on activities, labs, review materials, critical thinking exercises, formative assessments, summative assessments, and strategies for difficult topics. Projects and activities that build content and the development of scientific attitudes and skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and literacy, will also be examined. This interactive conference will allow teachers to share ideas, activities, questions, and best practices. The virtual APSI will include both synchronous and asynchronous learning each day.
Course Objectives
The fundamental goal is to provide an overview of a college-level introductory course in psychology, emphasizing demonstrations, labs, activities, instructional methods, and assessments (formative and summative) that enhance student learning and engagement.
- Participants will understand the mission statement of the College Board and how it affects the development of an AP Psychology Course, including an emphasis on equity.
- Participants will understand and develop best practices related to the online College Board resources, including AP Classroom, Exam results evaluation, and AP Community.
- Participants will devise or improve a curriculum that includes the nine units outlined in the AP Psychology Course and Exam Description that covers the scope and sequence in the most effective for their course and school calendar.
- Participants will develop an integrated understanding of the broad themes that link the nine distinct
units to help students build a strong knowledge of the discipline. - Participants will leave prepared with new demonstrations, activities, assessments, active learning
strategies, tips, resources, and effective instructional techniques. - Participants will have effective strategies for the separate components of the AP Psychology exam,
including both the multiple-choice and essay (free response) portions. Participants will develop a strong
understanding of how the free-response questions are graded and learn specific practical techniques to
prepare students for this portion of the exam effectively. - Participants will be provided additional resources (e.g., review materials, websites, blogs, and discussion groups) to keep up to date with changes in the field and prepare for the redesign.
The institute participants will leave excited about the prospect of teaching AP Psychology, knowledgeable about the discipline and its subfields, and armed with specific ideas and practical information for lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and other activities.