Media Alert - Reminder: NMSI Celebration at Tulsa Memorial, Oct. 23

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Phil Bacharach
Executive Director of Communications
Oklahoma State Department of Education
405-521-4894
phil.bacharach@sde.ok.gov

Tricia Pemberton
Assistant Director of Communications
Oklahoma State Department of Education
405-521-3371, 405-431-7195-cell
tricia.pemberton@sde.ok.gov

                                         **MEDIA ADVISORY**

WHO: State Superintendent Janet Barresi, National Math and Science Initiative representatives, Tulsa Public Schools Representatives, Tulsa Memorial High School students, and community leaders

WHAT: A celebration of the National Math and Science Initiative's addition of Tulsa Memorial High School to its Comprehensive Advanced Placement program.   

WHEN: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013

WHERE: Tulsa Memorial High School Library, 5840 S. Hudson Ave., Tulsa, OK 

TULSA, Okla. – The National Math and Science Initiative will celebrate the expansion of its Comprehensive Advanced Placement program to include Tulsa Memorial High School during a ceremony at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23 in the school library.

The program works to improve student participation and performance in rigorous math, science and English courses by increasing time on task for students through special study sessions, intensive teacher training, support from master teachers and incentives for teachers and students.

Tulsa Memorial is one of three schools added to the NMSI program this year. Celebrations will be held later this fall at Ulysses S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City and at Enid High School. The three schools combined are expected to increase passing scores in AP math, science and English by 253 percent over the three-year life of the grant. Tulsa Memorial already has increased AP math, science and English enrollment 102 percent from last year to meet the expectations of the grant.

Six Oklahoma high schools from Lawton and Mid-Del Public Schools currently partner with NMSI. The number of students who earned a passing score of three or more on the math, science and English five-point AP exam scale increased by more than 50 percent within the program’s first year compared to 8.6 percent in Oklahoma and 7.2 percent nationally. The results were even more impressive in AP math and science courses, where passing exam scores improved by 150 percent in the first year compared to 14.6 percent in Oklahoma and 8.2 percent nationally. Students who earn passing scores are eligible for college credit at most colleges and universities. 

Before the NMSI program was introduced to six Oklahoma schools, African-American, Hispanic and female students accounted for just 15.9 percent of passing scores on AP math, science and English exams. After just one year, minorities and females accounted for 24 percent of the state’s passing scores on AP exam.

NMSI’s Comprehensive AP program currently operates in more than 550 schools in 22 states and includes open enrollment in AP math, science and English classes for all students as well as the benefits mentioned above.

About National Math and Science Initiative (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 K-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. Inaugural funding for NMSI, was provided by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, visit www.nms.org.

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