NMSI's AP Program Expands to Tulsa Memorial

TULSA (Oct. 23, 2013) – The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) today celebrated the expansion of its Comprehensive Advanced Placement* (AP) program to Tulsa Memorial High School, thanks to a grant from the Tulsa Community Foundation (TCF), the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), and the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).

“Due to the generous funding from the Tulsa Community Foundation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Oklahoma Department of Education, NMSI’s comprehensive AP program has started at Tulsa Memorial High School. Today we celebrate these teachers and students for their enduring commitment to building a strong STEM pipeline and enriching their community,” said NMSI Chief Academic Officer Gregg Fleisher.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi said she is thrilled to be able to expand the program to Tulsa.

“The effectiveness of NMSI is evident and dramatic. Among the six state schools from Lawton Public Schools and the Mid-Del School District that currently partner with NMSI, the number of students who earned a qualifying 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,” Barresi said.

Tulsa Memorial already has increased AP math, science and English enrollment 102 percent over last year to meet the expectations of the grant.

“I want to extend my thanks to the hardworking and dedicated teachers and administrators at Tulsa Memorial who have signed up for the intense training this program will require,” Barresi said. “Thank you for your dedication to excellence and to making sure your students have the best programs available. “

Memorial’s addition to the program was made possible by a $508,266 grant presented at a special event held today in the school’s library. The generous three-year grant from the TCF and the OSDE marks the first-ever partnership between private and government sectors to support a NMSI school in Oklahoma.

The OSDE and TCF support programs that increase the number and diversity of secondary school graduates who are math-and-science proficient and who choose careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Memorial will be the first school in Tulsa to implement NMSI’s Comprehensive AP program. Tulsa Public Schools will be the fifth Oklahoma school district with a school in the program, bringing the total to nine schools statewide. All three high schools in Lawton Public Schools and in Midwest City-Del City Public Schools already participate in the program. The program also was expanded to Ulysses S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City and to Enid High School this year.

The Comprehensive AP program is open to all students in participating high schools that are eligible for AP classes. Program components include study sessions outside of normal school hours as well as intense training for the AP and 6th-12th grade teachers who will build the pipeline of students who are AP-ready. Access to college-level AP courses not only gives students the opportunity to earn college credit, but also increases their chances of succeeding in college. Students who pass an AP exam are three times more likely to complete their college education. For minority students, that multiplier is even greater: African-American and Hispanic students who succeed in AP courses are four times more likely to graduate from college.

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 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.