Federal Stimulus Dollars for AP and Pre-AP
Education Secretary Duncan highlights the value of Advanced Placement in his "stimulus funds" guidance to schools and districts
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the role of Advanced Placement in driving reform in teaching, learning, and assessment in the guidance he issued to schools and districts on how they should use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Stimulus) dollars. As such, districts and schools are encouraged to use Stimulus funds for AP and Pre-AP expansion-including for professional development for AP and Pre-AP teachers.
The following are excerpts from the guidance that refer specifically to AP and describe ways to promote rigor using a curriculum aligned with college-ready standards along with ideas to enhance teacher development:
World-class education systems are built upon college- and career-ready standards, rich and engaging curricula based on the standards, and high-quality, aligned assessments to measure student learning. While many states are actively revising their standards and assessments to increase rigor and improve alignment, districts and schools can concurrently take steps to promote rigorous standards, effective assessment systems, and strong curriculum. Some examples would be to:
Increase student participation in rigorous advanced courses such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment in postsecondary credit-bearing courses and provide professional development for teachers and counselors to make the expansion possible.
Purchase or adapt a high-quality curriculum aligned with standards with embedded assessments. Include instructional materials appropriate for English language learners and students with disabilities. For two years of ARRA funding, intensively train all teachers in effectively using the curriculum with their students.
Teacher effectiveness is a major influence on students' academic success. Districts and school leaders can improve teacher effectiveness and address inequitable teacher distribution through how they recruit, hire, induct, develop, evaluate, advance, and compensate teachers. Moreover, they can create the school conditions that foster teacher effectiveness and retention such as excellent school leadership, time for collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement. Examples of strategies to improve teacher effectiveness and address inequitable distribution of highly qualified teachers between low- and high-poverty schools include to:
Train school staff to partner with families to improve student learning, including helping staff clearly communicate about school programs and individual student progress and fostering involvement in school activities and decision making. Support home visits, family nights, and parent training that help families make more informed decisions about their children's academic program, request needed services, assist with homework and support learning in other ways.
You can read the full guidance document at:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/guidance/uses.doc
Schools and districts seeking input and support from the College Board as they develop plans for AP expansion and other program implementation using Stimulus dollars can contact their appropriate College Board regional office representative or email arra@collegeboard.org.