2013 Legislative Report - STEM Advanced Placement Program

Report to the Legislature:
Advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through a Mathematics and Science Advanced Placement (AP) Program
The Fiscal Year 2013 budget, Chapter 139 of the Acts of 2012 line item, 7035-0035, provided a competitively bid, statewide performance based, integrated program to increase participation and performance in advanced placement courses, particularly among underserved populations, to prepare students for college and career success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
March 2014
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu

This document was prepared by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Members
Ms. Maura Banta, Chair, Melrose
Ms. Harneen Chernow, Jamaica Plain, Vice Chair,
Mr.Daniel Brogan, Chair, Student Advisory Council, Dennis
Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Milton
Ms. Karen Daniels, Milton
Ms. Ruth Kaplan, Brookline
Dr. Matthew Malone, Secretary of Education, Roslindale
Mr. James O’S. Morton, Springfield
Dr. Pendred Noyce, Weston
Mr. David Roach, Sutton
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner and Secretary to the Board
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We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Inquiries regarding the Department’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the
Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148-4906. Phone: 781-338-6105.
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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu

Massachusetts Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education

75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906 Telephone: (781) 338-3000

TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner

March 2014

Dear Members of the General Court:

I am pleased to provide a progress report on the ongoing work of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department), in partnership with Mass Insight Education, to provide a high-quality Advanced Placement (AP) mathematics and science statewide program to increase the numbers of low-income and minority students participating and succeeding in AP mathematics and science. This work was funded in part by the FY13 line item 7035-0035, augmented by $1,000,000 in private funding.

The statewide program, implemented by Mass Insight Education through their Mass Math + Science Initiative (MMSI)[1], is an AP driven, performance based public-private partnership operating at scale. MMSI is expanding access to rigorous AP coursework and closing achievement gaps in more than 50 high schools statewide. This comprehensive program combines rigor with multiple supports including teacher training, content coaching and additional learning time for students. The report provides the resuls of this partnership as of December 2013.

In School Year (SY) 12-13, thirteen new schools participated in the program for the first time. The total number of AP mathematics and science exams taken by AP mathematics and science statewide program students in SY12-13 was 7,312. In SY12-13, AP mathematics and science statewide program students received a total of 3,310 qualifying scores (three or higher) on AP mathematics and science exams. This is an increase of 16 percent over last year’s total of 2,858. These funds also provided teacher training and professional development for 212 teachers from around the state who attended a comprehensive five-day training program for AP teachers in the following mathematics and science courses: Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Physics and Statistics. In FY14, the Department will partner with the University of Massachusetts-Donahue Institute to evaluate the program.

Please let me know if I may provide you with any further information. I appreciate your support for mathematics and science professional development.

Sincerely,

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

The Advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through a Mathematics and Science Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Submitted By:

Jeff Mahoney

December 2013

Report on the Implementation of a Statewide Science and Mathematics Program

The Advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through a Mathematics and Science Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Task 1: Increase participation in Advanced Placement (AP) mathematics and science courses, particularly among underserved populations, in 61 partner schools:

i. Identify, establish and maintain partnerships with districts and schools with high percentages of minority and low-income students.

ii. Identify and encourage recruitment of minority and low-income students into AP mathematics and science courses.

iii. Educate district leaders, teachers, guidance counselors, and parents of minority and low-income students about equity-in-education issues, as well as the benefits of the AP program and pursuing a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree and career.

iv. Assist districts in eliminating barriers that restrict access to AP mathematics and science courses for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have traditionally been underserved.

Current outcomes: In School Year (SY) 12-13, the Massachusetts Mathematics and Science Initiative (MMSI) entered its fifth year of program implementation. Thirteen new schools participated in the program for the first time. The map below displays all MMSI schools and the year they entered the program (referred to as a Cohort):

In SY12-13, the MMSI program operated in 17 high schools in 12 of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities of Attleboro, Barnstable, Chelsea, Chicopee, Fall River, Fitchburg, Malden, Methuen, Peabody, Salem, Springfield and Worcester. Gateway Cities have large minority and underserved populations and under M.G.L. c. 23A section 3A are defined as a municipality with:

· Population greater than 35,000 and less than 250,000

· Median household income below the state average

· Rate of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree or above that is below the state average

In addition, through our outreach and recruitment, MMSI currently has 18 schools on a waitlist to enter the program. Pending funding, other Gateway City high schools from New Bedford, Holyoke and a second high school from Chicopee will join the program.

Overall, based on information reported through the Student Information Management System (SIMS)[2], in SY12-13 5,762 students participated in AP mathematics and science courses through the MMSI program.

The demographic information of these students disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, disability and socioeconomic status is as follows (we are not able to provide any information on English achievement at this time):

Table 1.1: Students by Ethnicity

Number of Students
Hispanic or Latino / 504
Not Hispanic or Latino / 4720
Blank / 538
Totals / 5762