Twenty-one additional high schools across the state have been selected to participate in a statewide initiative to increase the number of students prepared to take rigorous college courses. Comprehensive training and student support programs will be implemented in these schools to boost enrollment and success in Advanced Placement (APâ) and Pre-AP courses in mathematics, science and English.
These schools were recognized today by a resolution of the State Board of Education at its meeting in Montgomery, Alabama.
State School Superintendent Tommy Bice presented the resolution and gave credit to the ALSDE / A+ College Ready partnership for helping Alabama students become college and career ready.
“This partnership between the ALSDE, A+ College Ready and the schools will help ensure that Alabama students are better prepared to succeed when they get to college and help them gain marketable skills in critical thinking and problem solving,” Dr. Bice said.
The schools invited to join the ALSDE / A+ College Ready program in the 2014-15 school year will be the seventh group of schools participating in this college readiness program, which now expands this high-quality, challenging program to almost half of all Alabama public school districts.
“So many Alabama students want to be challenged academically,” said Lincoln High School principal, Andy Keith. Lincoln is one of the new schools joining the program this fall. “We are so excited to be able to offer our students the fantastic opportunties that Advanced Placement courses give them, and expect to see great things accomplished over the next three years.”
The 21 schools joining the ALSDE/A+ College Ready partnership for Cohort VII are listed below:
| School | District |
| Program Schools | |
| Thompson HS | Alabaster City |
| Marbury HS | Autauga County |
| Spanish Fort HS | Baldwin County |
| Cherokee County HS | Cherokee County |
| Colbert County HS | Colbert County |
| Colbert Heights HS | Colbert County |
| Cherokee HS | Colbert County |
| West End HS | Etowah County |
| Glencoe HS | Etowah County |
| Florence HS | Florence City |
| Beauregard HS | Lee County |
| Brindlee Mountain HS | Marshall County |
| Opelika HS | Opelika City |
| Russellville HS | Russellville City |
| Satsuma HS | Satsuma City |
| Ashville HS | St. Clair County |
| Childersburg HS | Talladega County |
| Munford HS | Talladega County |
| Lincoln HS | Talladega County |
| Dadeville HS | Tallapoosa County |
| Tarrant HS | Tarrant City |
Additionally, 13 schools were selected to participate as Pipeline Schools. These schools will institute a Pre-AP training program designed to increase the number of students enrolled and succeeding in honors and Pre-AP coursework:
| Pipeline Schools | |
| Albertville HS | Albertville City |
| Billingsley HS | Autauga County |
| Bessemer City HS | Bessemer City |
| Fairview HS | Cullman County |
| Beulah HS | Lee County |
| Loachapoka HS | Lee County |
| Blacksher HS | Monroe County |
| Handley HS | Roanoke City |
| Ragland HS | St. Clair County |
| Springville HS | St. Clair County |
| Sumter Central HS | Sumter County |
| Winterboro HS | Talladega County |
| BB Comer HS | Talladega County |
For the 2014-15 school year, the 21 newly selected high schools are projected to accomplish the following goals:
- Add 57 new AP courses in math, science, and English (MSE)
- Add over 2100 new enrollments to AP MSE courses
- Reach a goal of students earning over 700 new qualifying scores on AP MSE exams.
These schools have been selected to join a very successful initiative that is currently in 97 Alabama High Schools. Alabama ranks number one among all 50 states in the percent increase in qualifying scores on math, science and English AP exams from 2008-2013. Because of this success, the Alabama legislature dedicated an additional $500,000 for the program in the 2014-15 Education Trust Fund budget for a total of $4.27 Million. Rep. Bill Poole was one of the leaders advocating for the increase.
“Thanks to this proven public-private partnership, teachers and students who step up to the challenge of Advanced Placement classes will get the resources and support they need to be successful. The value of this investment truly is immeasurable,” said Rep. Poole. “What Alabama will experience through such an investment is a much greater, more innovative and impactful population of leaders coming from our high schools. There is much to celebrate today.”
The ALSDE / A+ College Ready program provides extensive training and support for teachers and students. AP teachers attend weeklong Summer Institutes, get two days of additional professional development each fall, get coaching from successful, experienced AP teachers, participate in a mock exam reading, and receive stipends to compensate them for the extra time and work involved in teaching AP. Students participate in Saturday study sessions lead by experienced master teachers. Financial stipends based on academic results are also available to teachers, students, and school leaders. Program schools receive this level of support for three years.
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 stipend initiative in public schools throughout Alabama. Key leadership involved in launching and supporting A+ College Ready included the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education, the Alabama Power Foundation, The Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, Regions Financial Corporation, Boeing and ExxonMobil Corporation. The Alabama State Legislature, with additional support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, and the Department of Defense, now fund the ALSDE/A+ College Ready Program so the program can continue to thrive.
For more information, please visit http://www.apluscollegeready.org, www.nms.org, and www.alsde.edu.
