91吃瓜

A new University of 91吃瓜 partnership with the (NMSI) will help to bring STEM college-level courses to more students in secondary schools across Indiana.

Funding from the U.S. Department of Education, announced last week, cleared the way for NMSI to make a $7 million grant to implement additional College Board鈥檚 Advanced Placement math, science, and English courses in Indiana through a program administered by 91吃瓜鈥檚 (IEI).

NMSI, an initiative launched several years ago by top leaders in business, education and science to reverse the troubling decline in American math and science education, is expanding to Indiana its highly successful program to effect large-scale change in access to and success in AP courses offered by Indiana鈥檚 high schools.

The Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program in Indiana (AP-TIP IN), set to begin implementation in 33 secondary schools starting in 2012, aims to ensure that more students are better prepared for college and for success in the highly technical and highly competitive jobs of the future.

With the support of BioCrossroads, an enterprise catalyzing the continued growth of Indiana鈥檚 life sciences industry, the IEI has already overseen the training of about 225 AP teachers. This key step toward establishing new courses through the AP-TIP IN program has also received ongoing assistance from the Lumina Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.

鈥淭his partnership is a team effort bringing together the worlds of education, business, and government,鈥� says , the Ryan Senior Director for Program Development at the IEI. 鈥淭he grant from NMSI allows us to move forward on a path that many different stakeholders see as crucial for Indiana鈥檚 youth and for our schools.鈥� Johnstone is primary investigator for the project.

Karen Morris, the AP TIP-IN program director, adds: 鈥淭he expansion of AP teaching capacity in Indiana could not have been accomplished without the enthusiastic assistance of [Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction] and the state鈥檚 Department of Education. Our colleagues there have generously contributed to the effort,鈥� she says, noting that schools all around Indiana have shared in the commitment.

, director of the IEI, says the NMSI partnership also reflects 91吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to advance access for the nation鈥檚 primary and secondary students to quality education.

鈥淭his grant illustrates the Institute for Educational Initiatives鈥� unwavering commitment to advance educational opportunity for all children, whether in public, charter, or faith-based schools," Father Scully says. 鈥淲e seek to galvanize the efforts of all actors in our state and in our country to improve the academic quality of the curricular offerings available to students and teachers, in this instance especially in Math and Science."

Schools participating in the NMSI-supported AP program during the last three years have recorded triple-digit increases in the number of qualifying scores, based on newly released College Board data:

• A 124-percent increase in passing exams in AP math, science and English among all students, compared to a 23-percent increase nationally over the same period of time.
• A 216-percent increase in passing exams in AP math, science, and English among African-American and Hispanic students, compared to 50 percent nationally.
• A 144-percent increase in passing exams in AP math and science among female students, compared to 20% nationally. The newly announced federal funding for NMSI makes possible NMSI鈥檚 expansion into Indiana and Colorado. These join the list of current NMSI AP partner states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia.

Contact: Bill Schmitt, IEI communications/media specialist, 574-631-3893, wschmitt@nd.edu