Professor Kellee Kirkpatrick Appointed as AP Chief Reader

Idaho State University's Associate Professor of Political Science, Kellee Kirkpatrick, Phd, has been appointed to the esteemed position of Advanced Placement (AP) Chief Reader.

Kirkpatrick teaches American politics and public policy and is in her 10th year at ISU. As Chief AP Reader, she plays a pivotal role in evaluating the academic skills of high school students across the nation. In her role, Kirkpatrick will ensure the integrity and accuracy of the AP Research reading process. Her primary goal is to uphold rigorous standards while providing constructive feedback to students. 

“Behind every single paper is a real student who deserves an accurate score,” Kirkpatrick says. “I get to work with a team of absolutely incredible people. They’re kind and committed to the goal.”

While many are familiar with AP courses in government and English, Kirkpatrick is involved in a newer addition to the AP curriculum, the AP Capstone program. This program consists of two sequential courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. AP seminar teaches students how to form a question, ask critical questions, and how to research those questions. In AP Research, students complete a full academic research paper, which Kirkpatrick says is something most people don’t experience until graduate school.

Kirkpatrick's involvement extends to the meticulous scoring of these research papers each summer, a task she finds both intellectually stimulating and rewarding. With nearly 20,000 student papers to assess, the process demands precision and diligence. 

Further, Kirkpatrick aims to advocate for the expansion of AP Research courses, particularly in underserved regions like Southeast Idaho. According to Kirkpatrick there are currently no AP research courses being offered in Southeast Idaho. 

“If I had had this opportunity as a high school student I would have given anything to be part of it,” she says. “It sets students up with research experience. I want to call these students and tell them the work they’re doing is so good. The work some of these students do rivals the work I see in graduate programs. Students in Southeast Idaho deserve this opportunity. It could open so many doors for them.”

For Kirkpatrick, the opportunity to lead and shape the future of AP Research is both a privilege and a responsibility. She hopes to see students who have taken these AP courses come to ISU.

“I want students on the ISU campus with this experience because it’s phenomenal,” she says. “This is like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else.”