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STORY JUMP MENU
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A Note from Southwestern Region VP Ann Wright |
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Our staff in the Southwestern Region has been hard at work on numerous projects, and we are seeing some great results from the effort. After working with legislators and commissioners in Texas, we are happy to report that legislation has been passed that, in the next few years, will pay for all college entrance exams in that state. This follows special efforts in New Mexico, a state in which the ACT is dominant. New Mexico and the College Board have signed a contract that will provide funding for promoting AP® and the PSAT/NMSQT® through public service announcements and other efforts.
This year, 24,000 of New Mexico's 26,000 sophomores took the PSAT/NMSQT.
Between August and October, our staff held workshops for more than 2,300 school counselors in all four states of our region. The feedback on these workshops has been overwhelmingly positive. And earlier this month, 240 educators came to San Antonio to attend "The College Dream: Preparing Texas' Latino Students for the Twenty-First Century." This was the first conference of its kind in the Southwestern Region, where participants explored ways to better prepare Latino students for college entrance exams and to increase the percentage who get college degrees.
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I am also happy to report that Arkansas has received one of eight National Math and Science Initiative grants, which will fund efforts to better prepare math and science students in that state for advanced placement in college course work.
Please plan to join us for the 2008 Southwestern Regional Forum, which be held Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008, in Frisco, Texas.
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Arkansas Receives NMSI Grant |
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The Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science was one of seven organizations awarded grants of up to $13.2 million each from the National Math and Science Initiative Inc to provide training and incentive programs to teachers of AP® courses in their respective states over the next six years.
Currently, the United States is 16th among 17 nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds who have earned degrees in natural science or engineering, but there are proven strategies for improving the underperformance of U.S. students in math and science education. NMSI is expanding these strategies to the national level by offering grants that will attract more qualified teachers and offer them specific
training and support, as well as financial
incentives based on academic achievement.
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Part of this program is modeled after UTeach, a successful initiative at the University of Texas at Austin, which encourages math and science majors to enter the teaching profession by offering compact degree plans and financial assistance.
More than $140 million has been raised for this effort, which includes initial funding of $125 million from ExxonMobil Corp. The investment in special training and incentive programs for math and science teachers, as well as for their continued support through a mentor program, will be returned by their students' increased participation and success in AP courses. Better preparation in math and science before college will lead to greater success in these fields in college. And providing a strong and steady supply of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is our best bet to restore the United States as the global leader in technological innovation.
"We commend the leaders of the National Math and Science Initiative for undertaking this ambitious effort. It's a great illustration of the type of public-private partnership - with AP as the core component of the program-that can profoundly change American education," said Tom Rudin, College Board senior vice president for government relations. "We're excited about the opportunity to work with the NMSI national organization and with each of the state grantees to implement significant AP expansion projects, so that tens of thousands of additional students can succeed in AP math, science and English courses and exams."
NMSI funding can offset the cost of professional development for math, science, and language arts educators; defray the cost of programs and services intended to accelerate students in math, science and language arts; and help more students achieve success in AP courses related to these subjects. As this initiative was developed specifically with AP in mind, there are a number of applicable College Board programs and services that may enhance grantees' training and incentives programs. These include, but are not limited to, the Advanced Placement Program®, the PSAT/NMSQT® SpringBoard® and AP workshops.
Additional grants were awarded to organizations in six other states: Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington. Within five years, NMSI seeks to have training and incentive programs in 150 school districts in 20 states and UTeach running on more than 50 campuses nationwide.
NMSI is an innovative nonprofit organization created to facilitate the national scale-up of programs that have a demonstrated impact on math and science education in the United States and guided by leaders of industry and higher learning.
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New Mexico Funding for AP® and the PSAT/NMSQT® |
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A state partnership in New Mexico has expanded, enabling thousands more high school students to take the PSAT/NMSQT® and opening access to AP® course work.
In 2006-07, 13 districts participated in the program, including Albuquerque, with almost one-third of the state's students. As part of the agreement, all 10th-graders were given the PSAT/NMSQT and teachers were offered workshops and subject-specific training for AP courses.
This year, the partnership has expanded to 54 districts, and many more professional development opportunities have been added, said Paul Sanders, senior educational manager for K-12 in the Southwestern Regional Office.
State leaders are enthusiastic about what the exam can do, in terms of AP potential and extending the AP pipeline, Sanders said. The state legislature approved
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funding for the tests, and state Secretary of Education Veronica Garcia recorded a public service announcement in English and Spanish about the benefits of the PSAT/NMSQT and encouraged districts to administer the test. The state also paid for 100 educators to attend the Southwestern Regional Forum in Albuquerque last January, and will send 100 more to the 2008 regional forum.
"This is a poor, mostly rural state," Sanders said. "In the scheme of things, it's a small program . but we're having great gains, especially in increasing the number of minority students, Hispanics and Native Americans participating.
"This state, like all others, is continuing to review what it means to be college ready," he said, "all the way back to middle school. We hope they [legislators] will continue to see the benefits of this program."
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Educators Meet in San Antonio to Discuss Initiatives for Latino Students |
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"The College Dream: Preparing Texas' Latino Students for the Twenty-First Century" provided nearly 250 educators with proven strategies to help increase college readiness and success among Latino students.
Teachers, administrators, counselors and university officials gathered at the downtown campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio
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Participants chose from more than 40 sessions and learned about trends, research and new initiatives affecting these students and their familie s.
The conference is part of a larger effort to increase the percentage of Latino students enrolling in college and ultimately graduating.
"The speakers and the students who entertained at each session were inspiring, and a good reminder of why we were there," said Estibaliz Arriaga, K-12 educational manager.
In Texas, the Higher Education Coordinating Board reported that Hispanics lag well behind whites nationally in college-going rates. Recent findings showed 34 percent of whites had completed four years of college, but just 11 percent of Hispanics had, said Ann Wright, vice president of the College Board's Southwestern Region.
The two-day event offered ideas for better solutions, including information on programs and services helping Latino students in college advising, admissions, financial aid and student services. Veteran and expert educators shared best practices relevant to the unique challenges faced by these students.
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte spoke at the closing session, recalling her experiences as a Latina college student at the University of Texas at Austin. A professor there encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a pharmacist and reminded her that she was paving the way for other Mexican-Americans to succeed in higher education.
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2008 Southwestern Regional Forum
Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008
Embassy Suites
Dallas-Frisco,
Frisco, Texas
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| Click here for more information on regional events. |
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Welcome New
Members to Your Region
At the College Board’s Annual meeting, 313 institutions were elected as members of the College Board. |
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Click here
to view a list of new members in your region |
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Regional
Council Roster
View a list of council members in your region. |
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E-mail us your announcements.
Be sure to include your region in the subject line.
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Southwestern
Regional Office
The College Board
4330 South
MoPac Expressway
Suite 200 Austin,
Texas 78735-6735
Phone: (866) 392-3017
FAX: (512) 721-1841
Send us a message
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