Jackie Rackard currently teaches English in the South Florida area. She has served in many College Board leadership roles including College Board consultant, Assistant Chief Reader (2020-present) for the AP Reading/Scoring, AP English Language Exam item writer and chair of the AP English Language Course and Development Committee. She has taught secondary education for over 30 years, with a variety of experience in urban and suburban student populations and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.  During her time off, Jackie enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her family. 

Rebecca McFarlan is a National Board Certified teacher who has taught English on both high school and college levels for 39 years. She has 35 years of experience teaching both the AP English Literature and the AP English Language courses.  For the past 20 years she has been a reader, and more recently a table leader, for the AP English Literature Exam. In 2021-22 she was a question leader. She has taught in both urban and suburban districts in the Cincinnati and Northern KY. At Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati Rebecca served as Instructional Leader for grades 9-12 and the English Language Arts Program Leader for Kindergarten -grade 12. She is a College Board Consultant for AP English Literature, AP English Language, and the AP Research. 

Over the past 30 years she has facilitated workshops both nationally and internationally. Rebecca has conducted AP and PreAP workshops in China since 2012 focusing on English curriculum for Chinese students. For the past nine years she has served as a coach and mentor to teachers and other College Board consultants. In 2011 she became a College Board consultant trained to work as an English coach with districts on a sustained basis.  She served on the College Board’s Instructional Development Committee to help develop instructional materials for teachers of AP Literature. Rebecca co-authored the article “Bridging the Grammar Gap: An Interdisciplinary Approach” which appeared in The English Journal in January 2003. In 2004 she received the Martha Holden Jennings Master Teacher award. She developed three online workshops for AP Central, contributed to the AP Literature Mentor materials, and worked on the development of several PreAP workshops. She co-authored Perfection Learning Company’s AP Literature and Composition.

Melissa Alter Smith is a College Board APⓇ Consultant and a National Board Certified high school English teacher in Charlotte, NC. She is the founder of #TeachLivingPoets and co-author of The Norton Guide to AP Literature: Writing & Skills (W.W. Norton, 2022) and Teach Living Poets (NCTE, 2021). She is featured on LitHub.com, in The New York Times, MindShift KQED, NCTE’s Council Chronicle, ASCD’s Education Update, and more. Melissa earned her M.A. in English from Ohio University. Her work is focused on complicating the canon, supporting teachers, and empowering students through poetry. 

Brian Sztabnik has taught AP Literature and Composition at Miller Place High School since 2009. His experience with the development of the course, the exam, and teacher training is extensive. Over the past decade he has served on the Test Development Committee, he helped design the AP Literature and Composition Course and Exam Description, and  he has worked as an AP Reader. As a result of his experience, Brian has created instructional videos for AP Classroom, presented on behalf of the College Board at national conferences such as NCTE and the AP Annual Conference, and has chaired the College Board’s English Advisory Committee while serving on its Academic Advisory Council.  He continues to serve as the Lead Consultant for AP Literature.  In 2025 he co-authored 100% Engagement: 33 Lessons to Promote Participation, Beat Boredom, and Deepen Learning in the ELA Classroom, which was a #1 best seller on Amazon.