National Math and Science Initiative
Training and Incentive Programs for AP and Pre-AP Courses
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Advanced Placement Strategies™ (APS), a non-profit established in 2000, plans, manages, and implements training and incentive programs for AP and pre-AP mathematics, science, and English courses. These programs include extensive formal and informal training of teachers, additional time on task for students, financial incentives based on academic results, and cultivation of Lead Teachers to provide leadership to the program in their schools by mentoring other teachers.

In a state-wide Texas study, AP success correlated with much greater success in college. Six-year college graduation rates rise from ~15% for African-American and Hispanic students to 60% or higher if they have scored a 3 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 1st in the world in advanced mathematics.

Although all public high school graduates that have passed an AP exam has grown from 10% in 2000 to 15% 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% of the scores of 3 or higher on the BC Calculus exam come from the less than 1% of African-American students who attend the Texas schools served by APS.

NMSI plans to have an additional 150 districts in 20 states implementing training and incentive programs for AP and pre-AP courses, resulting in almost 60,000 additional students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams in math, science, and English within the next five years.  These exams include Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science AB, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics B, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, English Language, and English Literature.

In August 2007, NMSI will make up to 10 six-year awards of up to $13,200,000 to support this effort. Learn more about APS or Download a copy of the 2007 RFP»