Governor Bob Riley and Superintendent Joe Morton
 join celebration at Clay-Chalkville High School on AP Success

                Alabama schools lead the nation in the largest increase in student participation and performance on Advanced Placement tests in the 2008-09 school year and Governor Bob Riley came to help celebrate that fact.

                In the first year of a targeted expansion initiative supported by A+ College Ready, 12 Alabama high schools exceeded expectations to increase student success on Advanced Placement (AP) exams in math, science and English by 81%, announced by Governor Bob Riley and Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton August 25.   Clay-Chalkville High School was chosen as the location for the national announcement.

                "These results are phenomenal, and I want everyone to appreciate the hard work of our young people and our teachers," said Governor Bob Riley.

                Alabama Superintendent of Education, Dr. Joe Morton, said "These results form a trend, and it is incumbent on us to utilize ACCESS distance learning, A+ College Ready and our own state AP initiative to make sure more Alabama students have this opportunity."

                Key Alabama results from the twelve Alabama A+ College Ready schools in Jefferson and Montgomery counties for math, science, and English AP courses for the 2008-09 school year:

                *             81% increase in passing scores (from 407 to 736)

                *             67% increase in passing scores earning by minority students (from 82 to 137)

                *             202% increase in exams taken (from 830 to 2,508)

                The national average for increase in passing scores in math, science and English is 5.7% and the state average for Alabama is 22%.

                Twelve schools, eight in Jefferson County School System and four in Montgomery City School System  have been participating since 2008 in a $13.2 million grant given by the National Math and Science Initiative to Alabama and managed by A+ College Ready.  The grant is largely funded by Exxon/Mobile, Dell and Gates Foundations to increase the number of students taking AP courses.   AP exams are taken by students who have completed college-level courses offered at their high schools and students can receive college credit if they score high enough on the tests.

The eight JefCoEd schools selected to participate in the AP training and incentive grant were:               

 Clay-Chalkville High, Gardendale High, Hueytown High, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate High, Minor High, Pinson Valley High, Pleasant Grove High, and Shades Valley High.

Paul Dieffenthaller, Alabama's ExxonMobil chairman, reported the following data for the eight JefCoEd schools for 2008-09:

·         Increased AP course offerings in mathematics, science and English by 70%

·         Increased course enrollments in these classes by 185%

·         Increased qualifying (scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP exam) by 100% (versus 80% for the state overall)

·         increased qualifying scores (scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP exam) for minority students by 92%

   It all proves that American students and especially Alabama students can excel at math and science if given the right opportunity.