Rosa Tapia, a professor of Spanish at Lawrence University, has begun a four-year term as the national leader in the evaluation of the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish exam.
A member of the Lawrence faculty since 2002, with a focus on Spanish and Latin American film and 20th-century Spanish literature, Tapia has been actively involved in the AP Spanish Language and Culture program since 2007. Her appointment as the nation- al chief academic consultant for AP Spanish—affectionately known as the “chief reader”—began July 1.
“It is an absolute honor for me to guide an exceptional group of approximately 1,500 faculty from more than 1,200 colleges, universities, and secondary schools worldwide, all coming together to shape the future of Spanish language education,” Tapia said.
AP exams, offered by the College Board, are taken by high school students each spring, a culmination of yearlong AP courses. AP exams can lead to college credits and assist colleges and universities with placement decisions.
For 16 years, Tapia has been part of a team of educators working with the AP Spanish program, evaluating students’ Spanish language proficiency, setting standards of evaluation, and establishing exam content. She has been invited to give talks and workshops to university educators and administrators across the country. Now she will lead that team over the next four years.
Tapia called her appointment a “significant milestone that fills me with immense pride and a profound sense of responsibility.”
That responsibility revolves around establishing robust and equitable standards.
“This work holds immense significance for Lawrence and for over 2,600 institutions of higher learning across the nation,” Tapia said. “These include highly selective colleges and flagship public universi- ties that entrust my team’s expertise to make decisions that significantly impact the academic futures of countless students.”