Advanced Placement grants awarded to outstanding schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
Contact: Stephanie Connolly (651) 582-8720 |
ADVANCED PLACEMENT GRANTS AWARDED TO
OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS
~Minnesota Department of Education has awarded 14 schools with additional funding to
start or expand AP ~
Roseville – The Minnesota Department of Education announced Advanced Placement (AP) grants have been awarded to 14 schools around the state. Last summer, Governor Pawlenty announced the availability of these grants for schools interested in starting or expanding AP courses and programs.
“I commend these schools for showing commitment to growing programs like AP and understanding how critical they are to the future of our students,” Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “Rigorous coursework will give students an edge in this competitive global marketplace.”
The Governor proposed and signed legislation earlier this year that appropriated $1 million to increase access to more rigorous coursework. The legislation established a program to raise academic achievement for students in grade 6 and above through increased student participation in pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement programs.
Under Governor Pawlenty’s Get Ready, Get Credit program, Minnesota experienced an almost 20 percent increase in the number of Minnesota students taking AP tests last year. While participation increased, data also showed an 18.5 percent increase in the number of students scoring high enough to receive college credit at most colleges. Additionally, during the 2005-06 school year, there was an increase of 12 percent in the number of students taking International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.
In order to be considered for a grant all applicants had to provide details of specific efforts that would further raise student academic achievement to receive a grant. These efforts would have to include at least one of the following:
• Increasing the availability of access to Advanced Placement for all students
• Expanding the breadth of Advanced Placement courses or programs that are available to students
• Increasing the number and the diversity of the students who participate and succeed in Advanced Placement courses or programs
• Providing low-income and other disadvantaged students with increased access to Advanced Placement courses and programs
• Increasing the number of high school students, including low-income and other disadvantaged students, who receive college credit by successfully completing Advanced Placement courses or programs and achieving satisfactory scores on related exams.
The 14 schools that were awarded with AP grants are:
• St. Paul Humboldt Junior/Senior High School, Funding: $91,721
• Minneapolis Edison High School, Funding: $91,195
• Roseville High and Middle School, Funding: $132,769
• Chaska East Middle School/West Middle School/Pioneer Ridge, Funding: $94,808
• Brainerd Forestview Middle School, Funding: $76,777
• Burnsville Eagle Ridge Junior High School, Funding: $60,000
• Minneapolis North High School, Funding: $80,439
• Long Prairie Grey Eagle High School, Funding: $29,686
• Hmong Academy Charter School, Funding: $12,500
• St. Louis Park High School, Funding: $89,775
• Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, Funding: $104,117
• Alexandria Jefferson High School, Funding: $36,750
• South Washington County High Schools (Park and Woodbury), Funding: $67,873
• Shakopee High and Middle School, Funding: $31,590
“Raising the bar in the classroom will encourage students to perform at higher levels and meet higher expectations,” Seagren said.
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