With the need to remain competitive in an ever-changing global marketplace and with millions of skilled jobs left unfilled, Los Alamitos High School celebrated AP STEM Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20, to raise awareness about the importance of rigorous education in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
Advanced Placement (AP) STEM courses can both impact students’ success in college and help prepare them for some of today’s most innovative careers. Over the last 10 years, the growth in STEM jobs was three times faster than growth in other job sectors. This growth is expected to continue. However, as a nation, far too few of our college graduates are prepared to fill these jobs.
LAHS is one of 325 schools across the country participating in the AP STEM Access Program, implemented by the College Board last fall. With the support of a $5 million Google Global Impact Award to DonorsChoose.org, LAHS is starting new AP STEM courses in AP Physics C with the specific goal of encouraging underrepresented minority and female students who demonstrate strong academic potential, to enroll and explore these areas of study and related careers. Over the next three years, the AP STEM Access program will give an estimated 36,000 students the opportunity to study college-level STEM coursework in newly created classes for the 2013-2014 school year.
“The College Board is committed to expanding access to opportunity for students, and broadening the reach of AP STEM courses is an integral piece of that,” said Trevor Packer, College Board Senior Vice President, AP and College Readiness. “We would like to thank the schools who are participating in this program for their determination to ensuring that students from all backgrounds take rigorous coursework in high school that will prepare them for college and career.”
Students who succeed in AP in high school are more likely to enroll in and graduate college than their peers who haven’t. Research also shows that students who take AP math and science are more likely than non-AP students to earn degrees in physical science, engineering and life science disciplines. However, far too many students still lack access to AP. Last year alone, over 300,000 students who had the potential to succeed in an AP course didn’t take one. Black, Hispanic, and Native American students with AP potential are more likely to experience this gap in key subjects such as math. Only three out of 10 Black or Hispanic students and two out of 10 Native American students who had the potential to succeed in an AP math class took one. Compare this with six out of 10 Asian students and four out of 10 white students. And, in most AP STEM subjects, female students participate at lower rates than male students.
For more information and the full list of qualifying schools, please visit www.collegeboard.org/apstem.
About the Advanced Placement Program®
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both, while still in high school. Through AP courses in 34 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue — skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a three or higher on an AP exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students. Each AP teacher’s syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP exam scores. More than 3,600 institutions worldwide annually receive AP scores. In the last decade, participation in the AP program has more than doubled and graduates succeeding on AP exams have nearly doubled. In May 2013, more than 2 million students representing more than 18,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took approximately four million AP exams.
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information, please visit www.collegeboard.org.