Montgomery, Ala. – Alabama’s minority enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses increased 113 percent in the state’s six pilot schools, according to “Raising Rigor, Getting Results,” a report from the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices. Alabama is one of six pilot states in the NGA effort to expand AP participation. Over a two-year period, AP student enrollment experienced a 65 percent increase in the pilot states and minority student enrollment jumped 106 percent.
AP enrollment increased from 6 to 88 students, or 1367 percent, at Columbia High School in Huntsville. AP performance also increased in Alabama, which was one of two states distinguished nationally. Alabama saw the largest increase in the percentage of African American students scoring at mastery – from 4.5 percent up to 7.1 percent. In the six pilot states, the percentage of students earning a score of 3 or higher (5 is highest score) increased from 6.6 percent to 8.3 percent, accelerating faster than the national average. A score of at least 3 is considered a predictor of college success.
AP offers high school students an opportunity for college credit in more than 30 subjects, ranging from high-level mathematics and science to fine arts. Through ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide) – which is now in every high school in the state – Alabama expanded virtual-learning technology to offer AP Biology for students in rural schools.
The NGA awarded a $500,000 grant to each state – Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, and Wisconsin – to target one urban (Huntsville City) and one rural (Butler County) school system. Grants allowed states to devise strategies to improve the number of AP classes offered, provide incentives for schools and students to take part, and bolster teacher training and student support. The lessons learned from AP expansion in Alabama and the other pilot states will be used to increase AP participation nationally.
Gov. Bob Riley increased the budget for AP, adding $3.5 million over two years. Alabama also received a National Math and Science Initiative Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Grant for $13.2 million over six years to improve math and science education in Alabama’s public schools.
“The NGA AP Expansion Grant allowed us to pilot a comprehensive strategy for expanding access to AP courses for traditionally underrepresented students in both rural and urban settings,” said Carol K. Crawford, program director, A+ College Ready. “In 2008, Alabama saw the largest increase in the percentage of African American students receiving qualifying scores on internationally recognized AP exams.”
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