• Maria Carolina Gonzalez, 14, raises her hand during AP Spanish class at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff

  • Advanced Placement language textbooks await students at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff

  • Stephanie Barrios, 17, makes some room on the floor to work on a poster for her AP Spanish class at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff

  • Stephanie Barrios, 17, makes some room on the floor to work on a poster for her AP Spanish class at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff

  • Students in AP Spanish at Cypress Bay High School work on getting into groups to begin a project: Left to right, Alexandra Alcort, Natasha Rodriguez, Stephanie Barrios (standing) and Veronica Valdes, all 17. Emily Michot / Miami Herald Staff