AP-TIP IN Success Story--From "Indiana Education Insight"

AP innovation progress pays;
More prepared to succeed in college

The nine Indiana high schools that participated in the first year of the Advanced Placement Training & Incentive Program (AP-TIP) excelled compared to the rest of the state and nation, according to data slated to be released at a press conference Monday September 16 at 10 a.m. at Perry Meridian High School.

The number of students at the nine AP-TIP schools who earned a passing score of three or more on an AP exam grew by 66%, compared to 8.9% growth in Indiana and 7.2% growth nationally. Five of the nine schools more than doubled their number of passing scores. The results are even more impressive in AP math and science courses, where passing exam scores at the nine schools improved by 114% compared to 16.2% in Indiana and 8.2% nationally. 

The program perhaps shines most brightly in its contribution to narrowing the achievement gap. The number of African-American and Hispanic students who passed AP exams in the nine schools jumped by 119%, versus 14.3% growth for Indiana and 14.1% for the nation. 

The AP-TIP initiative sponsors extensive training for teachers during the Summer, cultivates lead teachers, and prioritizes more time-on-task for students through tutoring and Saturday exam preparation.

The program also promises students and teachers financial incentives for passing scores. For the 2012-13 school year, 755 students earned $112,300 in bonuses for their AP success while the nine schools earned $262,100 in bonus money.

For the 2013-14 school year, the number of schools participating in the program will increase from 9 to 20, and additional one dozen schools are expected to join in the Summer of 2014. 

Indiana’s AP-TIP is coordinated by the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives through a five-year $7 million grant that the National Math and Science Initiative received from the federal i3 (Investing in Innovation) program.

Published 9/13/13 in the Indiana Education Insight newsletter. Copyright 2013. Reprinted with permission.