Federal grant to boost Pittsburgh Public's AP and IB programs
Share with others:
Pittsburgh Public Schools has won a $1.2 million federal grant to strengthen its Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
"I think this is going to be a major game changer for the AP and IB programs in our district," said Allison McCarthy, gifted and talented coordinator for the district.
While she called the current AP and IB programs "very good," she said the district is working to expand and improve the programs as well as to make more high-level courses available in all district high schools.
AP courses, at least one of which is offered in all district high schools, and IB courses, which are offered only at Pittsburgh Obama 6-12, provide students a chance to do college-level work in high school so they have a better idea of what to expect in college. In addition, if students do well enough, they earn college credits.
The grant, which will be discussed at a school board meeting Wednesday evening, provides $334,476 this school year, $433,208 next year and $477,032 the following year.
The goal of the grant is to expand participation of low-income students in AP and IB in STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- and English courses.
The district already has taken steps to improve its advanced programs. Last spring, about 590 students enrolled in the first districtwide AP review sessions, with 12 offered for each of eight subjects: English 3, English 4, biology, psychology, statistics, calculus AB, U.S. history and U.S. government.
The exam results haven't been analyzed yet to see whether performance improved.
Over the summer, 215 students took at least one course -- and some took two -- in a three-week summer academy aimed at preparing students for AP classes in the eight subjects. Overall, more than 65 percent of the participants attended 80 percent or more of the time.
The summer program helped students learn the foundations of AP study, such as how to compare and contrast primary documents or the basic concepts of calculus.
They also had a chance to sit in on college classes and meet college students to help them get a feel of what college life might be like.
"We wanted every single kid who walked into an AP class this fall to feel confident and to have felt successful in an AP-based course," said Ms. McCarthy.
Currently, 944 students are enrolled in AP courses. The district has been working to increase the number and diversity of AP students. This fall, there are about 20 more black students enrolled in AP than last year.
First Published October 17, 2011 12:00 am
