Alundra Dickson, MEd, a psychology teacher at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been named a recipient of a 2026 APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award by APA’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
Dickson is an engaging and forward-thinking educator whose teaching reflects a strong commitment to excellence in psychology education. She teaches six sections of Advanced Placement (AP) psychology, reaching more than 120 students in a large, urban high school setting. Over the past 8 years in her current teaching role, she has played a key role in strengthening students’ understanding of psychology and increasing their interest in the field. Her students have earned the highest AP psychology scores in the district the last 5 years, with pass rates exceeding state and global averages.
Little Rock Central High School serves a student population coming from diverse and economically varied backgrounds. Within this context, Dickson is intentional about creating opportunities for all students to feel capable and confident in their academic abilities. Her approach to teaching emphasizes both skill development and curiosity, encouraging students to see themselves as active participants in the learning process. Through her efforts, psychology at her school has grown into an academically rigorous and respected subject area.
Dickson is especially recognized for her interactive and student-centered classroom environment. She regularly integrates hands-on activities and demonstrations that help students better understand psychological concepts. According to Little Rock Central’s assistant principal Rod Martin, PhD, her classroom reflects “an exceptional level of instructional quality, creativity, and dedication to students,” where learning extends beyond traditional methods and encourages deep thinking and application. “Her impact on students and on the study of psychology within our building has been significant and lasting,” he noted.
In addition to building content knowledge, Dickson prioritizes critical thinking and independence. Students in her classroom are encouraged to ask questions, make connections, and engage thoughtfully with course material. As one former student shared, her class “fundamentally changed how I view learning and sparked a lasting passion for psychology,” highlighting the lasting influence of Dickson’s teaching.
Beyond her classroom, Dickson serves as the Mental Health Club sponsor at her school and has worked on a district curriculum map for social studies since 2021. She has contributed to the broader educational community through professional presentations at conferences such as the Arkansas Teachers of Psychology Conference, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the Southwestern Psychological Association.
“Continued quality leadership in the classroom is demonstrated through Dickson’s dedication and challenge to each of her students,” said APA TOPSS Committee chair Kari Hall, MA. “Her ability to foster a genuine psychological curiosity impacts her students in a variety of ways, which often includes a lasting passion for the field of psychology.”
The APA TOPSS Committee is honored to present this award to Dickson for her dedication, creativity, and student-centered approach in the classroom, which continues to make a meaningful impact on her students and on psychology education more broadly.
As an award recipient, Dickson will receive a framed certificate, engraved award, cash prize of $500, and a complimentary TOPSS membership renewal for the 2027 membership year. She will also receive complimentary copies of APA Style’s Publication Manual and Concise Guide to APA Style books, and a curated $200 value package of APA books selected by the APA TOPSS Committee.
TOPSS is the voice of high school psychology teachers within APA. Through APA, TOPSS offers teaching materials, professional development opportunities, the Psychology Teacher Network quarterly newsletter, and programs for high school psychology teachers and students. There are approximately 1,600 high school teacher affiliates in APA.
High school psychology is a rapidly growing course option. In 2025, just over 334,000 students took the AP psychology examination (College Board, 2025). Additionally, over 30,000 high school students worldwide took the International Baccalaureate exam in psychology in 2025 (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2025-a, 2025-b). Other psychology courses are taught at the high school level, including on-level, dual credit, and Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education psychology courses. The most recent available data from the Department of Education indicated that 29.96% of graduating students across the country had earned credit for taking a psychology course during high school (U.S. Department of Education, 2022).
Considering that students can directly apply content and concepts learned in the psychology class to their daily lives, and that psychology is a science that promotes important skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, APA sees high school psychology courses as highly valuable and relevant in the high school curriculum. A quality psychology course may enhance needed life skills, prepare students for—and interest them in—a variety of careers, and improve mental health literacy.
TOPSS’ mission is to promote the highest standards in the teaching of psychology as a science and discipline; promote professional development and other means for lifelong learning for high school teachers of psychology; facilitate networking among teachers from all teaching levels of psychology; encourage recruitment and retention of students in the field of psychology; enhance the visibility and legitimacy of high school psychology; and recommend the appropriate response to advocacy, education policy, and certification issues that impact the quality or visibility of teaching of high school psychology. Learn more about TOPSS on the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools webpage and on its Facebook pageopens in new window.
APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with 190,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students among its members and supporters. APA’s mission is to promote the advancement, communication, and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.
For more information, please contact Emily Leary Chesnes.