Published: August 30, 2010
National Math and Science Initiative's Year Two Results Boost Student Achievement by 98 Percent, Opening Doors to College
DALLAS - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The National
Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) today announced the second year
of dramatic results from its Advanced Placement Training and Incentive
Program (APTIP), which boosted the number of students passing Advanced
Placement* math, science and English tests by 98 percent. In addition,
triple-digit increases in passing scores of minority and female students
indicate that APTIP is making significant gains toward closing the
achievement gap among traditionally under-represented students.
"These results show nearly twice as many students in the participating
schools will be likely to succeed in college," said Tom Luce, CEO of
NMSI. "The continued improvement confirms this program is opening doors
to college for many more students."
"Experience has shown that students passing AP courses in high school
are much more likely to complete a college degree - and even those who
do not pass benefit from the rigorous curriculum and achieve more
success in college," Luce added.
This fall, the NMSI program will be implemented in a record 227 U.S.
public schools in six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky,
Massachusetts and Virginia) and is expected to reach 350 high schools by
fall of 2012. The goal of the program is to broaden access to the
college level coursework to many more students and significantly improve
the passing rates.
Results from NMSI program schools for the 2009-2010 were compiled this
month and show dramatic increases in student achievement across the six
states participating in the APTIP:
-
During the period of 2008 - 2010, there was a 97.7 percent overall
increase in math, science and English AP exams passed in the 65
schools that have implemented APTIP for two years - more than seven
times the national two-year increase of 13.6 percent.
-
From 2009 - 2010, there was an 84.6 percent increase in math,
science and English AP exams passed in NMSI's 75 first-year APTIP
schools - over 11 times the national increase of 7.5 percent -
and much higher than the 52 percent increase recorded by the first
cohort of schools in 2008-2009.
APTIP is proving particularly effective in closing the minority
achievement gaps:
-
The first cohort of 65 schools recorded a remarkable 154.6 percent
increase in passing math, science, and English scores in two years
among of African-Americans and Hispanics, which is almost six
times the national two-year increase of 27.7 percent
-
From 2009 - 2010, there was an 107.3 percent increase in math,
science and English AP exams passed among African-American and
Hispanic students in our 75 new NMSI program schools - over eight
times the national increase of 13.2 percent - and much higher than the
first-year increase of 71.5 percent recorded by APTIP schools in
2008-09.
APTIP also is proving highly effective in closing the female achievement
gaps in math and science:
-
The first cohort of 65 schools recorded a 116.4 percent increase
in passing math and science scores in two years among female
students, which is almost 13 times the national two-yr increase of
9.2 percent.
-
From 2009 - 2010, there was an 91.5 percent increase in math
and science AP exams passed by female students in our 75 new
NMSI program schools - almost 17 times the national increase of 5.4
percent - and much higher than the first-year increase of 48.4 percent
recorded by APTIP schools in 2008-09.
"The continued increase in student achievement in these courses confirms
that it is possible to take a proven program such as APTIP, which has
more than 12 years of documented results, and expand it across the
country so more students will benefit," Luce said.
As of September, NMSI will have trained more than 6,000 teachers as part
of the enhanced professional development at the core of APTIP that also
includes on-going support from master teachers for teachers in the
classroom.
Gregg Fleisher, National Director of APTIP for NMSI, said APTIP works
effectively because of the partnerships NMSI has established with state
organizations and the participating school districts, superintendents
and teachers. "We are all focused on one goal: increasing achievement in
AP courses, which is directly correlated with college graduation rates.
We all want to give these students the tools to succeed."
NMSI's six-state results will be announced at an event Aug. 30 in Fort
Smith, Ark., in conjunction with the Arkansas
Advanced Initiative for Math and Science (AAIMS), which has seen an
73 percent increase in number of AP exams passed for their new schools
last year - more than seven times the rest of the state average.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe is scheduled to announce the state's
results at the event and commend Northside High School in Fort Smith for
its gains in student achievement.
NMSI board member Kenneth P. Cohen of Exxon
Mobil Corporation, a founding sponsor of NMSI, said, "These results
are significant for anyone following the decline of math and science
education in the U.S." He added: "We now need to commit as a nation to
expanding the program further, ultimately impacting and boosting the
educational achievement of millions of U.S. public school students. This
is critical for the future of our country."
Luce, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, pointed out that
AP students are among the few American students comparing favorably with
their international counterparts in achievement rankings. "In today's
highly competitive and highly technological global marketplace, the next
generation must have a mastery of science, technology, engineering and
math," said Luce. "This program is helping increase students' interest
in these subjects."
About APTIP: APTIP increases dramatically the performance of high
school students in rigorous AP courses in math, science, and English.
The comprehensive approach includes content training, teacher and
student mentoring, open enrollment, and incentives. The college-level AP
courses are taught by specially trained and credentialed teachers.
NMSI's unique methodology includes a training regimen for the teachers
that enables them to more effectively teach AP concepts and curriculum.
NMSI also provides teaching support from master teachers and incentives
that motivate students to put in the extra effort to master the rigorous
material. Passing AP exam scores are almost universally accepted for
course credit by the nation's colleges and universities, which see
success in AP courses as reliable indicators of students' subject-area
knowledge and capacity for college-level thinking.
About NMSI: NMSI, a non-profit organization, is an agent of
change that was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education,
and science to focus on improving student achievement in math and
science across the American public school system. NMSI's mission is to
bring best practices to the education sector by replicating two proven
programs on a national scale that each has more than 10 years of data
proving they work: the AP Training and
Incentive Program and UTeach,
a program to recruit and prepare college students to become qualified
math, science and computer science teachers.
NMSI has awarded grants to implement the UTeach program in 22
universities. More than 3,000 students are now enrolled, providing a new
wave of much-needed, highly qualified math and science teachers. Over
the next four years, it is anticipated the UTeach program will be
replicated in as many as 50 universities.
A non-profit organization, NMSI has received major funding support for
its ground-breaking national initiatives from Exxon
Mobil Corporation, the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael
and Susan Dell Foundation, with additional support from the Carnegie
Corporation of New York and Lockheed
Martin Corporation.
For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.
*AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the
College Board.
NMSI
Rena Pederson, 214-665-2523 / 214-558-6259
Communications
Director
rpederson@nationalmathandscience.org
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