NEW YORK—The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has awarded matching grants of $500,000 to six states to improve disadvantaged students' access to, and success in, college-level Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) courses. The grants—funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF)—have been awarded to Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
"We are deeply grateful to the NGA Center and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation for joining the College Board in its efforts to expand access to AP to underserved students," said College Board President Gaston Caperton. "It is essential for the continued welfare of our nation that all students have access to a quality education that includes rigorous course work. This is not only morally right, but it is also an economic imperative."
As part of the grant, the states will develop a statewide AP expansion strategy that includes the implementation of programs and policies that increase student preparation for and success in AP courses and that prepare many more teachers to teach AP; and the implementation of an intensive AP expansion effort in one urban and one rural public school district, so a number of innovative AP expansion strategies can be field tested and evaluated.
These grants are part of phase two of the NGA Center's Honor States Grant Program, designed to help states implement targeted high school reform initiatives that can rapidly improve high school graduation and college-readiness rates. As part of this program, 17 states have been selected to receive 27 grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 each.
"With the number of jobs requiring highly skilled workers continuing to skyrocket, the work of this initiative is more vital than ever to the future of our nation's economy," said NGA Executive Director Raymond C. Scheppach. "Without rapid and substantial redesign, America's high schools will be relegated to preparing students for jobs that no longer exist."
The states will use grant funds to initiate the following programs:
Alabama has identified one urban district, one rural district, and six of their high schools to participate in this effort to expand AP participation. Along with the activities described above, Alabama will choose an external evaluation firm to assess the progress of the pilot districts and schools and integrate AP expansion into the Alabama High School Redesign Strategic Plan.
Georgia will support the selected districts and schools in implementing programs and strategies to increase enrollment in AP courses, to increase the number of AP courses offered, and to improve student achievement on AP Exams. Georgia will also use a portion of the grant funds to pay AP Exam fees, beyond what is currently funded by the state, in participating schools.
Kentucky will work with one urban and one rural district and three high schools within each to expand AP opportunities and participation.
Maine will extend AP and other college-preparatory opportunities in seven districts across the state. Along with the activities described above, Maine will offer incentives to teachers and work with a wide range of districts including an island school 15 miles from the mainland.
Nevada will partner with Clark County School District, the fifth-largest school district in the country. This district also serves the largest representation of minority students in the state. Along with the activities described above, Nevada will recruit more minority teachers to teach AP courses, invite high school students to be teachers, and make an effort to develop culturally diverse curricula to reach students of all backgrounds.
Wisconsin will expand AP participation and success in one urban school district and a consortium of eight rural school districts. The Governor's Office and the Department of Public Instruction will collaborate with the AP Consortium at the Center on Education and Work (University of Wisconsin-Madison), the Wisconsin Virtual School, and several other partners to increase AP opportunities for minority, low-income, and rural students via distance learning and provide professional development opportunities for AP teachers and coordinators.
"We believe that all children, regardless of economic circumstances or ethnicity, are capable of learning and achieving at high levels and deserve a high-quality, public education," said Lory Pilchik, program director at the MSDF. "College-level AP courses provide students with the necessary academic rigor and help them realize that higher education is not only accessible, it's achievable."
For more information, visit: www.nga.org/center.
For more information, contact the College Board Office of Public Affairs at (212) 713-8052.