Aberdeen High School Awarded National Math and Science Initiative "School of the Year"

Aberdeen selected out of 465 participating schools nationwide for award recognizing outstanding achievement in Advanced Placement courses

ABERDEEN, Md., Jan. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) today named Aberdeen High School "School of the Year" for outstanding results on Advanced Placement* (AP) math, science and English exams. NMSI and The Boeing Company presented the award to Aberdeen students and faculty at a special celebration featuring leadership from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Aberdeen Proving Ground, a local U.S. Army installation.

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"NMSI is thrilled to recognize Aberdeen High School for the incredible achievements of its students and teachers," said Gregg Fleisher, NMSI Chief Academic Officer. "The gains we've seen in just the first year of the program at this school surpass all the schools we work with nationwide."

Aberdeen High School implemented NMSI's Comprehensive AP program last year, which encourages success in rigorous AP coursework by providing teacher training and support, more time on task for students and incentives for students and teachers. As a result, the average first year increase in the number of passing AP math, science and English scores at the school was 137 percent —19 times the national average. For minority students, the average increase in the number of passing math, science and English scores was 233 percent— 16 times the national average.

"The Obama Administration is committed to raising STEM achievement levels in America's classrooms," said Dr. Patricia Falcone, Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs at OSTP. "We're excited about NMSI's efforts to ensure consistent, rigorous educational opportunities for our nation's military families, and we congratulate Aberdeen High School on its impressive performance."

Funding for the program was made possible by a generous grant from Boeing, which also sponsors the NMSI AP program at three high schools in Ohio, Virginia and Oklahoma as part of NMSI's nationwide effort to support schools that serve students from military families. Today, NMSI's AP program is active in 71 high schools in 18 states, with five additional schools projected to join the program in the fall.

"Aberdeen High School's success is indicative of how programs like this raise the bar for academic excellence by supporting not just students, but also their families, school leaders and teachers," said Lianne Stein, vice president, Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship. "At Boeing we strive to ensure that students develop skills like critical thinking and creativity, and excel in math, science and English fields, so that they can achieve their dreams with the preparation necessary for ongoing academic and career success."

Nearby Havre de Grace High School in Havre de Grace, Md., is also being recognized by NMSI today for exceptional AP results. Together, Havre de Grace and Aberdeen High School accounted for 14 percent of the entire state's math, science and English increase in AP passing scores and also accounted for 11 percent of the increase in AP passing scores in math and science for females.

"Aberdeen and Havre de Grace High schools should be applauded for achieving national recognition for their increased participation and qualifying scores in advanced placement coursework," said Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara P. Canavan. "We are thrilled that Aberdeen High School has been named NMSI's School of the Year.  It is truly an honor that is well deserved.  We are grateful to instructional and administrative staff, NMSI, Boeing and DoDEA for providing this unprecedented opportunity to our students."

About 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 3-12 teachers and improving student performance through the rapid expansion of these highly successful programs: NMSI's Comprehensive AP program, NMSI Teacher Training program, and UT Austin's UTeach program

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

Media Contact: Mary Ortiz, 214-346-1245, [email protected]­­­­

SOURCE National Math and Science Initiative