20 High Schools Join A+ College Ready

By Sallie Owen Gowan

Today was a celebration for the 3rd group of A+ College Ready schools. These 20 schools have signed on for a big challenge – promising to collectively boost their Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment by 85% in math, science and English.

To celebrate their commitment to this big goal, we organized a ceremony in the State Capitol with Gov. Bob Riley and State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton.

Here’s the news release, which contains a list of the participating schools:


MONTGOMERY – Today Governor Bob Riley announced the selection of 20 additional Alabama high schools to participate in a statewide initiative to increase the number of students prepared to take rigorous Advanced Placement* courses in math, science and English. The funding for this initiative is the result of a public-private partnership that includes $1.3 million this year from the Alabama legislature, a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative and additional matching funds currently being raised from Alabama donors over five years.

“The future of Alabama depends on how well we prepare our next generation of leaders. Expanding Advanced Placement courses is critical to providing a world-class education for our children and making sure they are prepared to succeed,” said Governor Riley, who was joined by State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton in presenting the selected schools with their goals for the 2010 - 2011 school year. Together, they have committed to increasing Advanced Placement enrollment in math, science, and English by 85 percent, from 1,656 to 3,063.

The 20 high schools that were chosen through a competitive application process to participate in the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program are:

• Benjamin Russell HS, Alexander City Schools
• Cleburne County HS, Cleburne County Schools
• Dothan HS and Northview HS, Dothan City Schools
• Wetumpka HS, Elmore County Schools
• Southside HS and Hokes Bluff HS, Etowah County Schools
• Gadsden City HS, Gadsden City Schools
• Hartselle HS, Hartselle City Schools
• New Century Technology HS, Huntsville City Schools
• Jacksonville HS, Jacksonville City Schools
• Corner HS, E. B. Erwin HS, McAdory HS and Mortimer Jordan HS, Jefferson County Schools
• Smiths Station HS, Lee County Schools
• New Hope HS, Madison County Schools
• Muscle Shoals HS, Muscle Shoals City Schools
• Oxford HS, Oxford City Schools
• Pell City HS, Pell City Schools

These high schools join 23 others already participating in the program and represent A+ College Ready’s expansion across the state.

Dr. Joe Morton addressed the participating superintendents and principals saying, “During the 2008-2009 school year, the 12 program schools had a 124 percent increase in course enrollments and an 83 percent increase in AP exams passed. These results led us to continue our partnership with A+ College Ready so that your students can achieve the same level of success.”

What began as a successful pilot in 12 schools is now a $24.8 million initiative that is projected to impact over 18,000 Alabama students by 2013.

“The availability of these funds is a great example of how support from the private sector can really pave the way for state and federal funding,” said Bill Smith, a member of the A+ College Ready Board. “We wouldn’t be here today without the support of companies including Alabama Power, Regions, Boeing and ExxonMobil.”

“Funding programs such as this is vital to the long term success of communities and corporations across Alabama, as we all benefit by strengthening our pool of available mathematicians, scientists and engineers,” said Bill Ritter, Central Region President, Regions Financial Corp.

Program schools receive training and incentives to help them expand their AP Programs. AP teachers attend weeklong Summer Institutes, get coaching from experienced and successful AP teachers and receive stipends to compensate them for the extra time and work involved in teaching AP courses. Financial incentives are available to teachers, students and school leaders to recognize academic achievement.

The 20 schools announced today will join the network of A+ College Ready Program schools that will include 80 schools by 2013 throughout the state and many more throughout the country.

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) to implement a proven Advanced Placement training and incentive initiative in public schools throughout Alabama. Key leadership involved in launching and supporting this public-private partnership included the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education, the Alabama Power Foundation, The Alabama Math, Science and Technology Education Coalition, Regions Financial Corporation and ExxonMobil Corporation. For more information, please visit www.apluscollegeready.org.

The National Math and Science Initiative was formed to address the declining numbers of students equipped for careers in math and science, a trend posing a great economic and intellectual threat to the nation. The Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program 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 on 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 founding donors are the ExxonMobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, please visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.



Tags: Rigorous Standards & Expectations, A+ College Ready, Advanced Placement,

blog comments powered by Disqus