2005-06 Siemens Awards For Advanced Placement Announced

    ISELIN, N.J., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Siemens Foundation today
 announced the winners of the 2005-06 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement.
 This year for the first time, the program is expanding with the goal of
 recognizing students, teachers and schools in all 50 states.  The program
 celebrates high school students who excel in Advanced Placement(R) (AP(R))
 Program science and math courses, as well as the teachers and schools who are
 leading the nation in participation and performance in AP science and math
 courses.
     "When the President set math and science education as a national priority
 in his recent State of the Union address, he singled out the Advanced
 Placement program as a key to cultivating more home-grown math and science
 talent," said Thomas N. McCausland, chairman of the New Jersey-based Siemens
 Foundation.  "By expanding the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, we hope
 to encourage AP participation and success among students, educators, and
 schools in every state."
     Advanced Placement is a signature program of the College Board, which
 selects up to one male and one female student from every state as Siemens
 Awards for Advanced Placement winners.  In addition, one male and one female
 student will be selected as national winners. The awards also recognize AP
 teachers in math, science, and technology and schools for exemplary AP
 teaching and participation.  One of these teachers is selected as the Siemens
 National AP Teacher of the Year for dedication to the AP program both inside
 and outside the classroom.  A complete list of winners is available at
 http://www.siemens-foundation.org.
     The Third International Mathematics and Science study found that U.S. high
 school students who had taken the College Board's AP calculus and physics
 courses were competitive with the best mathematics and science students in the
 world.  Their U.S. high school student counterparts not enrolled in such
 advanced courses could not compare with those of other nations in math and
 science education.
     "Well over 300,000 students take Advanced Placement math and science
 exams," said College Board President Gaston Caperton.  "The Siemens Awards
 winners certainly represent the best of the best."
 
     Winning Students
     The Siemens Foundation awards scholarships for up to 100 students
 (potentially one female and one male in each state) who have earned the
 greatest number of grades of 5 on the following AP courses:  Biology, Calculus
 BC, Chemistry, Computer Science AB, Environmental Science, Physics C:
 Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, and Statistics.  Students
 must obtain a grade of 5 on at least three of these exams to qualify. Winners
 receive a $2,000 college scholarship. Two national winners (one male and one
 female with greatest number of grades of 5) will be awarded a $5,000 college
 scholarship.
 
     Winning Teachers & Schools
     The Siemens Foundation honors the winning high school math and science
 teachers with a $1,000 award and one Siemens National AP Teacher of the Year
 with a $5,000 award.  Teachers with a minimum of five years of teaching
 experience in the math, science, or technology courses are selected for their
 exemplary teaching and enthusiastic dedication to students and the AP Program.
     One high school per state is selected in recognition of its commitment to
 students and for being a leader in AP participation and performance.  Schools
 receive a $1,000 grant awarded from the Siemens Foundation to be used to
 support math and science education.
 
     The Siemens Foundation
     Established in 1998, the Siemens Foundation provides nearly $2 million in
 college scholarships and awards each year for talented high school students in
 the United States.  Based in Iselin, New Jersey, the Foundation's signature
 programs -- the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science &
 Technology, the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, and the Siemens Teacher
 Scholarships -- recognize exceptional achievement in science, math, and
 technology.  By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the
 teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps
 nurture tomorrow's scientists and engineers.  The Foundation's mission is
 based on the culture of innovation, research, and educational support that is
 the hallmark of Siemens' U.S. operating companies and its parent company,
 Siemens AG.  For more information, visit http://www.siemens-foundation.org.
 
     The College Board
     The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission
 is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900,
 the association is composed of more than 5,000 schools, colleges,
 universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College
 Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools,
 and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions,
 guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning.
 Among its best-known programs are the SAT(R), the PSAT/NMSQT(R), and the
 Advanced Placement Program(R) (AP(R)). The College Board is committed to the
 principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of
 its programs, services, activities, and concerns. For further information,
 visit http://www.collegeboard.com.
 
 

SOURCE  The Siemens Foundation