Two Mississippi High Schools, Partnering with the National Math + Science Initiative, Dramatically Boost Performance on Advanced Placement* Exams in 2013-14

DALLAS, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two Mississippi high schools partnering with the National Math and Science Initiative's (NMSI) College Readiness Program – Ocean Springs High School and Biloxi High School – dramatically increased their numbers of qualifying scores on Advanced Placement* (AP) exams in the 2013-14 school year. Together, the schools accounted for 14 percent of all qualifying math, science and English scores in the state and 54 percent of the entire state's increase in qualifying math, science and English scores in 2013-14.

Working with NMSI, the two Mississippi schools together posted a 404 percent increase in qualifying scores for AP math, science and English, increasing from 50 qualifying scores in the 2012-13 school year to 252 in the 2013-14 school year. Ocean Springs High School achieved the greatest first-year improvement at any school in the history of the College Readiness Program (195 qualifying scores, up from 18).

AP exam scores of three or higher (on a five-point scale) qualify students for college credit at many colleges and universities across the country and are a prime indicator of whether students are adequately prepared for college and whether they will succeed when they get there. Students who master AP courses in high school are three times more likely to graduate from college. For minority students, that multiplier is even greater: African-American and Hispanic students who succeed in AP courses are four times more likely to graduate from college.

NMSI's College Readiness Program is now entering its second year in Ocean Springs and Biloxi high schools, with funding provided by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR). ONR has provided funding for several military-impacted high schools across the country in an effort to increase the number of students who are college ready and have the foundation necessary for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

"Earning a college degree is the single most important factor influencing economic opportunity and social mobility for our young people, and introducing high school students to a more demanding curriculum is a critical component to prepare them for success down the road," said Sara Martinez Tucker, CEO of NMSI. "We are making measurable, sustainable and scalable progress in improving college readiness among our nation's students."

Based on data from the College Board, the first-year increase in qualifying math, science and English exam scores among NMSI partner schools is 68 percent—10 times the national average of 6.8 percent (see accompanying graph).

In the 2013-14 school year, NMSI boosted student enrollment in college-level math, science and English courses by more than 50,000 working in just 566 schools. NMSI also raised the number of AP qualifying exam scores by more than 18,500 exams, representing more than 13,000 additional students who are better prepared for college after this past school year.  

Without NMSI's efforts, these 566 schools would have otherwise increased their number of qualifying exam scores by fewer than 1,400—representing about 1,000 students—based on the national rate of increase for each year of program participation.

Proficiency in STEM is crucial to our country's ability to remain competitive in the global economy of the 21^st century. NMSI's College Readiness Program is addressing this urgent need by partnering with schools that are committed to raising the academic bar and working with teachers, students and administrators to set and achieve aggressive performance goals.  The program's key elements of success include shared accountability and goal setting with schools, intensive teacher training and support with expert mentors, more time on task for students through tutoring and study sessions, open enrollment to broaden student participation, and achievement-based awards for teachers and students.

Since 2008, NMSI's College Readiness Program has been implemented in more than 620 schools across 26 states and the District of Columbia.

About National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): NMSI, a non-profit organization, was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education and science to transform education in the United States. NMSI has received national recognition for training K–12 teachers and improving student performance through the rapid expansion of highly successful programs: NMSI's College Readiness Program, NMSI's Laying the Foundation Teacher Training Program and NMSI's UTeach Expansion Program. Inaugural funding for NMSI was provided by the ExxonMobil Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, visit www.nms.org. 

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.

Media Contact:

Tara Marathe
Director of Communications, NMSI
214-346-1245 | [email protected]

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SOURCE National Math and Science Initiative