Kentucky's Math and Science Initiative Expands

AdvanceKentucky Announces 15 New High Schools
to Participate in the National Math and Science Initiative

AP Teacher Training and Incentive Program

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fifteen (15) new high schools are joining AdvanceKentucky, bringing to 27 schools that are implementing the AP Teacher Training and Incentive Program. AdvanceKY is funded by a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), which is supported by ExxonMobil, Dell and Gates Foundations. The NMSI model has over a decade of data from Texas schools demonstrating its proven ability to dramatically accelerate success in rigorous math, science and English (MSE) courses and on Advanced Placement exams, particularly among underrepresented student populations. AdvanceKY is replicating this model involving content-rich teacher training and incentives for teachers and students who achieve qualifying scores on MSE AP exams.

Fifteen (15) new high schools in Cohort 2 are: Bellevue, Bowling Green, Bryan Station, East Jessamine, Franklin-Simpson, Graves County, Highlands, Hopkins County Central, Johnson Central, Madisonville North Hopkins, Montgomery County, Paintsville, Powell County, Warren Central, and West Jessamine.

Twelve (12) other high schools in Cohort 1 already implementing the program are: Anderson County, Barren County, Corbin, Henderson County, Lone Oak, Marion County, North Laurel, Reidland, Scott County, Shelby County, South Laurel, and Warren East.

On average, 41 percent of the 27 high schools’ total enrollments are eligible for free or reduced lunch; 11 percent are minority students. In Cohort 1 schools, enrollments have increase by107 percent in numbers of students eligible for free or reduced lunch by 81 percent in numbers of minority students.

Projected 09/10 MSE enrollments across these 27 schools will exceed 5,100, which represents 39 percent of their total number of juniors and seniors, who typically take these rigorous MSE courses.

Growth goals in qualifying scores on 2010 MSE AP exams among these schools reach 1,976 -- compared to 904 earned in 2008 -- which may earn college credit for these high school students.

Using Cohort 1 schools for context, their collective 2009 exam qualifying score goal is 702, up from a baseline of 320. These initial 12 schools are projecting to dramatically exceed their Year 1 goals and are poised to prove that the success of model in Kentucky.

A total of 181 MSE AP courses are planned for the 09/10 school year, which includes 40 new AP course offerings above the current year. This will involve training for 176 AP teachers and a projected 250 Pre-AP teachers this summer.

SOURCE: KDE press release