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Education Secretary Duncan Highlights the Value of Advanced Placement® in Stimulus Funds Guidance
to Schools and Districts
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the role of Advanced Placement® in driving reform in teaching, learning and assessment in the guidance he issued to schools and districts on how they should use stimulus dollars. As such, districts and schools are encouraged to use stimulus funds for AP® and Pre-AP® expansion — including for teacher professional development for AP and Pre-AP teachers.
The following is an excerpt from the guidance titled “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Using ARRA Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement,” which describes ways to promote rigor using a curriculum aligned with college-ready standards and to enhance teacher development:
Adopting rigorous standards and high-quality assessments
World-class education systems are built upon college- and career-ready standards, rich and engaging curricula based on the standards, and high-quality, aligned assessments to measure student learning. While many states are actively revising their standards and assessments to increase rigor and improve alignment, districts and schools can concurrently take steps to promote rigorous standards, effective assessment systems, and strong curriculum. Some examples would be to:
Increase student participation in rigorous advanced courses such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment in postsecondary credit-bearing courses and provide professional development for teachers and counselors to make the expansion possible.
Purchase or adapt a high-quality curriculum aligned with standards with embedded assessments. Include instructional materials appropriate for English language learners and students with disabilities. For two years of ARRA funding, intensively train all teachers in effectively using the curriculum with their students.
Increasing teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution of effective teachers
Teacher effectiveness is a major influence on students’ academic success. Districts and school leaders can improve teacher effectiveness and address inequitable teacher distribution through how they recruit, hire, induct, develop, evaluate, advance, and compensate teachers. Moreover, they can create the school conditions that foster teacher effectiveness and retention such as excellent school leadership, time for collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement. Examples of strategies to improve teacher effectiveness and address inequitable distribution of highly qualified teachers between low- and high-poverty schools include to:
Train school staff to partner with families to improve student learning, including helping staff clearly communicate about school programs and individual student progress and fostering involvement in school activities and decision making. Support home visits, family nights, and parent training that help families make more informed decisions about their children’s academic program, request needed services, assist with homework, and support learning in other ways.
Here is a link to the full guidance document: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/guidance/uses.doc
Schools and districts seeking input and support from the College Board as they develop plans for AP expansion and other program implementation using stimulus dollars can contact their appropriate College Board regional office representative or e-mail arra@collegeboard.org.
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