Key Elements:

• Lead teachers to coach other AP and Pre-AP teachers
• Formal and informal training to upgrade the content knowledge for math, science, and English AP teachers currently in the classroom
• Financial incentives for teachers and students based on results
• Open enrollment to provide opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds
• More time on task for students through prep sessions and after-school tutoring
• High standards with accountability for results

The Impact:

The AP training and incentive program also dramatically increases college readiness. Students passing AP exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree than students who do not pass. And 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.

AP students in the U.S. are internationally competitive in math and science, while their non-AP counterparts are not. American AP calculus and physics students’ scores rank at or near the top against all other countries, while their non-AP U.S. counterparts were at or near the bottom.

In a state-wide Texas study, AP success correlated with much greater success in college. Six-year college graduation rates rise from 15 percent for African-American and Hispanic students to 60 percent or higher if they have scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam. Students enrolled in AP courses are also competitive internationally. While the U.S. ranked below the international average on the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), students who had taken the AP Calculus exam ranked first in the world in advanced math.

Although all public high school graduates that have passed an AP exam has grown from 10 percent in 2000 to 15 percent in 2006, we must continue to increase these numbers. It is particularly important to continue the progress of minority students; while the gap for African-American students remains wide, states like Florida, Texas, and California are closing the equity gap for Hispanic students. Training and incentive programs can help close equity gaps in AP courses. Almost 6 percent of the scores of three or higher on the BC Calculus exam come from the less than 1 percent of African-American students who attend the Texas schools served by APS.

“If an African-American or Latin child passes one AP course, their chances of graduating from college greatly increase. You are not only preparing mathematicians and scientists. You are preparing children to graduate from college. There’s a huge bias that assumes kids in inner-city schools can’t handle AP courses. But this program shows you can triple or quadruple the high school students taking AP courses in one year.”
-Tom Luce, CEO NMSI

*AP , Advanced Placement Program and SAT are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.