Gadsden City High School recently announced its sixth year of Advanced Placement (AP) results, indicating a 121 percent increase in the number of students participating in AP Math, Science and English courses and a 25 percent increase in the qualifying scores on the AP exams.
Driving the increases in student achievement is the implementation of the ALSDE/A+ College Ready AP Program, which Gadsden City High School began implementing in 2009. The goal of A+ College Ready is to boost student enrollment and achievement, particularly for under-represented student groups in rigorous AP courses – an indicator of college success.
According to Rhonda Perry, Director of School Improvement and Curriculum for Gadsden City, teachers of Advanced Placement classes receive extensive training to learn the strategies and skills necessary to teach Math, Science, and English courses with college-level rigor and depth. Research shows that students who take these courses are more likely to pass AP Exams for early college credits and graduate in four years with a college degree.
At a special event held at the Alabama State Capitol August 27, Governor Robert Bentley and Dr. Tommy Bice, the Alabama State Superintendent of Education, announced that Alabama ranks first in the nation in percent increase in Math, Science, and English qualifying scores. The State Department of Education has invested heavily in the AP initiative, which is implemented through a partnership with A+ College Ready.
Governor Bentley congratulated the AP students and teachers saying, “Alabama students are succeeding in AP classes at unprecedented rates. A+ College Ready is a good investment for foundations and individual donors across the state.”
In 2014-15, The ALSDE/A+ College Ready AP Initiative will support 118 schools in 54 Districts, with over 25,000 student enrollments, providing increased time on task through special study sessions and intensive teacher training, and support from master teachers. The AP Initiative works closely with the Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative and the Alabama Reading Initiative to assist all Alabama students in meeting the state’s College and Career Ready Standards.