Lots to Love about AP Success and Expansion in Alabama

Education News in Alabama Feb. 18, 2011

AnchorGovernor Announces Broad Expansion of Successful A+ College Ready AP Program

Valentine’s Day just passed, but for students, teachers and parents across Alabama there is still plenty to love about recent research results and news reports outlining exciting Advanced Placement gains in the state and plans to expand the proven effective A+ College Ready AP Training and Incentive Program into even more public high schools.

“A+ College Ready improves academic opportunities for students across the state and ultimately allows businesses to employ the best and brightest graduates.” said Dr. Eli Capilouto, Provost, University of Alabama at Birmingham and A+ College Ready Board member. “This belief is echoed by business leaders from Alabama Power Co., Regions Financial Corporation, Boeing and ExxonMobil that help fund A+ College Ready along with other companies, foundations and individual donors from across the state.”

Just last week, a report from the College Board indicated that the 2010 Advanced Placement scores for Alabama students were the best in history. And, on Tuesday, Gov. Robert Bentley compounded the good news for Alabama’s economic future when he announced that 20 more state high schools will soon join the 43 others already participating in the A+ College Ready Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program.

AnchorResearch Finding: Alabama makes progress in tackling high drop-out rate; efforts provide model for other states.

An impressive seven percent increase in graduation rates between 2002 and 2008, propelled by aggressive government leadership, a focus on teacher development, and a strong network of support systems, prompted America’s Promise Alliance to cite Alabama as a role model for other states fighting to overcome chronically high dropout rates.

Alabama’s progress in raising graduation rates from 62 percent in 2002 to 69 percent in 2008 was outlined in the report Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic, released in December by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University. Alabama was one of 4 states recognized for significant progress and Deputy State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice was invited to a national summit to share Alabama’s strategies with others from across the country.

The report noted that Alabama’s graduation rate showed significant growth compared to the rest of the country and far surpassed the nation’s three percent growth rate during the same six-year period. America’s graduation rate increased from 72 percent in 2002 to 75 percent in 2008, but the report noted that concerted efforts are vital to prevent regression and continue the positive momentum.

AnchorState Superintendent Warns Local Leaders of Grim Financial Outlook

A continued bleak economic outlook and the loss of revenues due to last summer’s oil spill, is having a devastating impact on Alabama’s education budget, and State School Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton said he and his staff are carefully scrutinizing all options to address the problem.

Two scenarios under discussion, he said, include reducing the number of school days for both teachers and students, and changing the formula for allocating the number of teachers a district receives, which will most likely result in some teacher and staff layoffs.

In addition to the strain of a weak and only slowly recovering economy, Alabama schools next year will lose $179 million in federal stimulus funds that state finance officials say cannot be replaced.

AnchorTeach For America-Alabama Expands into Tuscaloosa and Birmingham

The Tuscaloosa and Birmingham City school boards recently approved contracts with Teach For America – Alabama that could bring as many as 84 teachers to schools in Tuscaloosa and urban Birmingham over the next four years.

In August, eight Teach For America teachers will start working at schools in the poorest and lowest-performing zone in the Tuscaloosa school system – the Central zone. Eight more will be added each of the next two school years, with all 24 teachers contractually obligated to work in Central zone schools for at least two years, according to Teach For America – Alabama Executive Director J.W. Carpenter.

In late January, at the urging of Birmingham City School Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon, the school board voted to hire up to 60-90 TFA teachers and become the first urban system in Alabama to partner with Teach for America.

Teach for America is a national corps of top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for at least two years in under-resourced schools and to become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity.

When he proposed the program, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said “the highly regarded national program could provide just the dose of innovation Birmingham’s lower-performing schools need”.

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