Students in National Math and Science Initiative Schools Outperform Peers Again in 2011-12

Program results also show sustained significant improvement for minority and female students

DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year, exam results have confirmed immediate and dramatic improvements in math, science and English for students enrolled in the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI)'s Advanced Placement* (AP) program.  

When NMSI's AP program is implemented in U.S. high schools, it dramatically increases the rate of improvement in AP performance – even after just one year. Since the program's inception, NMSI has trained more than 11,000 teachers in 464 schools.

"The National Math and Science Initiative's AP program is making a profound impact on students' lives in the U.S.," said Tom Luce, NMSI CEO.  "We've seen it time and time again—students who participate in the program score well on the tests and are better-positioned for success in college."

Data from NMSI's 70 new schools for the 2011-2012 school year show that the AP program nearly doubled the number of qualifying scores students achieved on math, science and English exams. A qualifying score is graded as a three or higher on a five-point scale. These results are even more impressive given that many NMSI schools start below the U.S. average in participation and performance on AP math, science and English exams.

The NMSI AP program continues to show an especially profound impact on African-American and Hispanic students, who are traditionally underrepresented in AP classrooms, and on girls who are underrepresented in math and science at the collegiate level. In NMSI's 70 new schools for the 2011-2012 school year, the rate of improvement in performance on AP exams far outpaced national rates:

• African-American students more than tripled the number of qualifying scores achieved on math, science and English exams
• Hispanic students doubled the number of qualifying scores achieved on math, science and English exams
• Female students doubled the number of qualifying scores achieved on math, science and English exams

Additionally, in NMSI AP program schools, the trajectory of improvement continues over the long-term. The first group of schools that began working with NMSI in 2008 has seen improvement sustained over four years—performance on AP math, science and English exams was still more than double that of before the NMSI program was installed.

Furthermore, the number of exams passed by African-American students increased by almost two-and-a-half times, for Hispanic students by three times, and for girls by more than two-and-a-half times.

These results are linked to other positive educational outcomes.  Students taking AP courses are typically better prepared for rigorous college courses and those passing AP courses in high school are much more likely to complete a college degree.  Further, AP students are among the few American students comparing favorably with their counterparts in other countries in educational rankings.

"We have witnessed the remarkable results of the National Math and Science Initiative's program over the past four years," said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and College Readiness at the College Board. "The program aligns perfectly with our mission of expanding access to rigorous academic programs that foster critical thinking skills and prepare students for success in college and in life."

NMSI's comprehensive AP program includes open enrollment in AP math, science and English classes for all students, increased time on task for students through special study sessions, intensive teacher training, support from master teachers and incentives for teachers and students.

For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.

About the National Math and Science Initiative: The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is an agent of change that was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education and science to improve student achievement in math and science across the American public school system. The NMSI mission is to bring best practices to the education sector by replicating proven programs on a national scale that have more than 10 years of proven results. These programs include the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program to prepare more high school students to succeed in college level courses, the UTeach program to recruit and train more math and science teachers, and the Laying the Foundation program to prepare middle school and high school students to succeed in pre-AP and AP classes. 

NMSI has received major funding support for its ground-breaking national initiatives from Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Texas Instruments and Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Contact:

Rena Pederson, NMSI communications director, at (214) 346-1218, [email protected].

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

SOURCE National Math and Science Initiative