Michael E. Malone, visiting professor of education leadership at Jacksonville State University and College Board trustee

The managing board of Alabama’s A+ College Ready met in Birmingham on April 14 to review the program’s strategies to significantly increase AP® courses, enrollment and qualifying scores over the next five years.

A+ College Ready was one of seven organizations in the nation awarded a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative to provide training and incentive programs to teachers of AP courses and courses that use Pre-AP® strategies in their respective states over six years. This grant is the largest private grant on record for public K-12 schools in Alabama. Launching this initiative drew involvement from such key state leaders as the governor, the state superintendent of education, the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Coalition. In addition to financial commitments from the state and district, an aggressive campaign has been launched to generate matching funds from industry within the state. Alabama Power and Regions Financial Corporation have already made generous commitments.

In February, A+ College Ready selected 12 high schools that will be the first to participate in the statewide initiative. For the 2008-09 academic year, these 12 schools are projected to increase AP course offerings in math, science and English by 60 percent; to increase enrollment in these courses by 70 percent; and to more than double the number of qualifying scores on AP Exams. With the additional funds from industry, A+ College Ready plans to invest $1.5 million in training and incentives for these schools next year and $8 million over the next five years in order to meet their goals.

The A+ College Ready schools will offer 72 mathematics, science and English AP courses in the 2008-09 school year. All AP teachers will attend an AP Summer Institute and will submit their courses to the College Board for approval through the AP Course Audit process. In return, they will receive stipends to compensate them for the additional time and work required to teach AP courses. And financial incentives will be available to teachers, students and school leaders, offering students $100 for each qualifying score on an AP Exam and their teachers $100 as well.

College Board Trustee Michael E. Malone, who is also visiting professor of education leadership at Jacksonville (Ala.) State University, offered a general history of the College Board, an overview of its structure and explained that A+ College Ready has been nominated for membership, which will be determined at the Board of Trustees meeting in October.

VP Jenny Krugman

Our College Board goal of connecting students to college success is at the core of all we do. Why this emphasis on “college going”?

Sandy Baum, College Board senior policy analyst and economics professor at Skidmore College, writes about our mission and the monetary and nonmonetary returns on our nation’s “investing in higher education for individuals, as well as for society as a whole.”

This commentary about investments in higher education goes to the heart of the work of our Southern Region’s members and staff. Why should all students be ready on high school graduation day to choose college or a meaningful career? Why should institutions, state policymakers and families direct our young people toward a college-going goal? Here is more from Sandy Baum on the subject:

We estimate that the earnings advantage of the typical four-year public college graduate has covered the cost of tuition and fees, interest on loans to cover those charges and four years out of the labor force within approximately 11 years after graduation. The higher tuition at private colleges adds about seven years to the break-even time. These calculations would be even more favorable if they took into account the reality that most students receive grant aid to defray part of their tuition costs.

According to Baum, a college degree is well worth the price for the typical student.  Calculations in both the College Board’s 2007 publication, “Education Pays,” and in the “extensive analytical work by numerous highly respected academic economists indicate a very high rate of return on average — both monetary and nonmonetary — to both individuals and society as a whole from investment in higher education.”

Our CollegeKeys Compact™ — a promise between institutions and their low-income students — is but one example of the College Board’s commitment to lowering the hurdles that students must jump as they hunt for college campuses that match their dreams and strengths. Providing simple and equitable access to college opportunity for all of our region’s — and our nation’s — students, especially students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds, remains a critical goal for all of us here at the College Board.

In addition to financial barriers to college opportunity for our young people, there are academic barriers. One Florida district, Hillsborough County Public Schools, is breaking down those academic barriers. Hillsborough has just become the nation’s first College Board EXCELerator™ district, embracing a full suite of our college readiness opportunities for all of its secondary school students. The district’s longtime director of school counseling wrote in a recent letter to her local newspaper, “Our students are excelling in performance [because of past work with the College Board] and can do even better” once the EXCELerator initiative is in place. “[A]fter working in this district for 39 years, I believe that this partnership will do more for our district than anything we have tried over that length of time. I am confident it will succeed for students, parents, teachers, and this community.”

Hillsborough leaders, Sandy Baum and the CollegeKeys Compact are showing the rest of
us the way.

On April 15, the Kentucky House and Senate passed Kentucky Senate Bill 2, comprehensive AP® expansion legislation. The bill now goes to Gov. Steve Beshear for consideration, and it is anticipated that he will sign it into law.

The bill is expected to improve academic achievement in science, technology, engineering and math by paying AP Exam fees for public school students, effective in academic year 2008-09; providing scholarships for students to take online AP courses; establishing two-year grants for middle schools to develop rigorous math and science curricula; establishing two-year high school AP Start-Up Grants; providing professional development for AP teachers; requiring the state Board of Education to establish AP expansion goals and providing student bonuses for improved performance in AP courses and exams.

This comprehensive legislation is designed to expand access to the Advanced Placement Program® and provide strategies to improve academic achievement in science, technology, engineering and math for all Kentucky students.

Two similar bills in Tennessee — House Bill 3301 and Senate Bill 3023 — continue to be considered by the Tennessee Legislature. Both of these bills would effectively establish the Tennessee Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Incentive Program Act of 2008, which will be administered by the Department of Education and is intended “to provide access to advanced educational courses and corresponding tests in preparation for admission to and success in a postsecondary educational environment.” The bills, which are still in committee, also seek to appropriate funds to schools for AP course equipment and instructional materials, as well as to provide funding for AP Exam fees using a sliding scale based on family income.

Our members are at the core of the College Board. You have told us that you want a voice in our programs and direction. Now is the time to contribute — early and with insight — to the success of the 2009 Southern Regional Forum on Feb. 18-20, at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel, in
Atlanta, Ga.

The Southern Regional Council has already begun preliminary plans for Atlanta, but they need your agenda suggestions to build another strong program. Please take a few minutes to give the planning council members your valuable input. Think of topics and speakers that can make a contribution to solving today’s educational challenges.

The deadline for submitting your Call for Proposals form is May 2. Click here to download the application form.

Applying to present a session is easy and your participation is valuable, so please submit your application today.