A+ College Ready Names 12 Program School Pioneers

Jefferson and Montgomery county schools first to benefit from $13.2 million Advanced Placement® training and incentive grant

BIRMINGHAM -- Today A+ College Ready is announcing the first 12 high schools participating in a statewide initiative to increase the number of students prepared to take rigorous college courses in math and science. This will be accomplished by boosting enrollment and success in College Board Advanced Placement (AP®) courses in math, science and English.

For the 2008-2009 school year, these 12 schools are projected to increase AP Course offerings in mathematics, science and English by 60 percent; to increase course enrollments in these classes 70 percent, and to more than double the number of qualifying scores, going to 878 in the first year. On AP exams, qualifying scores are grades of three, four or five.

The first A+ College Ready Program Schools are:

• Clay-Chalkville, Gardendale, Hueytown, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate, Minor, Pinson Valley, Pleasant Grove and Shades Valley high schools, all of the Jefferson County system.
• Booker T. Washington Magnet, Brewbaker Technology Magnet, Robert E. Lee, and Loveless Academic Magnet Program high schools, all of the Montgomery County system.

A+ College Ready will invest  $750,000 in training and incentives for these 12 schools in 2008-2009 and $4 million over the next five years. When commitments by the state and district are included, the total grows to $1.5 million next year and $8 million over five years.

 “Expanding Advanced Placement programs is critical to providing a world-class education for our children and making sure they are prepared to succeed in today’s global economy," said Governor Bob Riley. “I commend the students, teachers and principals who have accepted this challenge, knowing that they have a lot of hard work ahead of them, and I have complete faith that they can do it.”

Riley joined A+ College Ready officials for the Montgomery news conference at Lee High School.

“Alabama’s public schools are making significant progress in many areas That’s one of the reasons why we are one of only seven states selected for this highly competitive grant,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joseph Morton, who spoke at the Jefferson County announcement at Hueytown High School. “The A+ College Ready grant will enable students to engage in learning opportunities never dreamed possible--it will literally expand their worlds immeasurably and prepare them to realize even bigger dreams.  There is no downside to this momentous announcement.”

Program schools will receive training and incentives to help them expand their AP programs. A+ College Ready will pay for AP teachers to attend the College Board's Summer Institutes. AP teachers will also get coaching from experienced AP teachers, and they will receive stipends to compensate them for the extra time and extra work involved in teaching AP. There is also professional development for Pre-AP teachers.

Financial incentives based on academic results will be available to teachers, students and school leaders. Students can earn $100 for each qualifying score on a math, science or English AP exam, and teachers will receive $100 for each of their students who earn qualifying scores.

"We are very excited about partnering with these dedicated Alabama schools to replicate the highly successful Advanced Placement training and incentive model developed in Texas," said Mary Boehm, President of A+ College Ready.

A+ College Ready is a statewide initiative, and other schools will be added in the coming years.

A+ College Ready, a division of the A+ Education Partnership, was created with a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), which is the largest private grant on record for public K-12 schools in Alabama. Key leadership involved in launching the initiative included the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education, the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Education Coalition. In Alabama, A+ College Ready's lead donors are the Alabama Power Foundation and Regions Financial Corporation.

The National Math and Science Initiative has three main goals: To increase the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement math, science and English courses; to increase the number of students earning qualifying scores (3, 4 or 5) on the College Board's AP exams in those subject areas; and to increase the number of students attending and graduating from college with degrees in math and science. NMSI's primary donors are the ExxonMobil Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

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