Record numbers sign up for rigorous courses in Jefferson County high schools

Enrollment triples in key Advanced Placement* courses at A+ College Ready's program schools

BIRMINGHAM – The A+ College Ready program schools in Jefferson County have posted a record increase in students taking Advanced Placement courses in math, science and English. Enrollment in these courses has tripled over last year.

This dramatic growth is a result of A+ College Ready, which is part of a nationwide effort to foster the next generation of scientists and engineers. The growth occurred at these high schools: Clay-Chalkville, Gardendale, Hueytown, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate, Minor, Pinson Valley, Pleasant Grove and Shades Valley.

These schools are offering 51 AP courses in math, science and English this year – up from just 30 last year. Enrollment has grown to 1,946, compared to 639 last year.

"This shows without a doubt that our students will take on more rigorous work if the courses are made available and they are encouraged to take on the challenge," said Dr. Phil Hammonds, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools. “I am proud of our students and our teachers, and I have full confidence that their hard work will produce results next spring on the AP exams.”

A+ College Ready is supporting the expansion of AP programs in 12 Alabama high schools this year and plans to reach more than 80 high schools in the next few years.

"We're proud that this program is already generating tremendous results for Alabama," said Gregg Fleisher of the National Math and Science Initiative, which awarded Alabama a $13.2 million grant to expand AP programs. "We strongly encourage continued local and state support for this critical initiative, to ensure that Alabama's future workforce is better prepared to thrive in the global economy."

Jefferson County's gains were celebrated at a School Year Kickoff this afternoon at Shades Valley High School. The event coincided with the third of more than 20 professional development opportunities that A+ College Ready is providing for educators this school year. The organization also paid for 46 teachers to attend AP Summer Institutes in 2008.

More than 250 educators from 18 Jefferson County schools gathered today for vertical team meetings. High school, junior high and middle school teachers worked together to make sure pre-AP courses are preparing students for AP courses.

"It's exciting that nearly 2000 AP students and their teachers have stepped up to this challenge," said Carol Crawford, program director for A+ College Ready.  "And as the school year gets underway, I want students and teachers to know that they've got a whole team working together to help them conquer the next goal."

These schools pledged to more than double the number of qualifying scores (3, 4 or 5) on AP exams in the spring.

Why AP? Advanced Placement courses allow motivated students to take college-level courses while still in high school. The program better prepares students to succeed in college by helping them master more rigorous coursework and earn college credits early. Experience has shown that students passing AP exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree than students who do not pass. African-American and Hispanic students who pass an AP exam are four times more likely to earn a college degree than those who do not pass.

About A+ College Ready: A+ College Ready, a division of the A+ Education Partnership, received a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative for a training and incentive program designed to foster the next generation of scientists and engineers from Alabama. The grant is the largest private-sector gift on record to Alabama's public K-12 schools. Lead donors in Alabama are the Alabama Power Foundation and Regions Financial Corp.

A+ College Ready pays for AP teachers to attend professional development and to receive coaching from experienced AP teachers. The teachers also receive stipends to compensate them for the extra time and extra work involved in teaching AP.  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. 

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is an innovative new effort to improve math and science education in the United States. NMSI was launched by leaders in American business, education and science in 2007 to expand successful programs like Advanced Placement Training and Incentives. The non-profit organization was created in response to the landmark National Academies report “The Gathering Storm,” which warned that the United States is losing pre-eminence in math and science, jeopardizing America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Major support for NMSI is provided by the ExxonMobil Corp., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with in-kind assistance provided by IBM and Perot Systems.

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*Advanced Placement Programs is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

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