Eisenhower High School Students in National Math and Science Initiative Program Excel on Advanced Placement Exams
October 29, 2013
Eisenhower High School Students in National Math and Science Initiative Program Excel on Advanced Placement Exams
Lawton, Okla. – High school students at Eisenhower High School earned significantly higher scores on Advanced Placement* (AP) exams last year thanks to an innovative program developed by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
Eisenhower High School students have been in the program since the 2011-2012 school year. Since then, enrollment in AP math, science and English courses has risen by 138 percent. Students receiving a passing score on an AP math, science and English exam increased 160 percent, compared to 10 percent in Oklahoma and 15 percent for the nation. African American and Hispanic students had a 107 percent increase compared to 36 percent in Oklahoma and 26 percent for the nation. The program is also making significant strides toward addressing the gender imbalance in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Female students increased participation by 153 percent, compared to 46 percent in Oklahoma and 25 percent for the nation. This program is made possible by a grant from Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation.
“The results that the students and teachers have achieved at Eisenhower has far exceeded our expectations,” said Gregg Fleisher, chief academic officer for NMSI. “The school has been a showcase for the state and the country as to what can be achieved when a community, a district, and a school work together for the betterment of students. We are thankful to our partners at Northrop Grumman for bringing the NMSI AP Program to Lawton where Eisenhower is preparing more of their students to succeed in STEM disciplines and in life.”
Eisenhower High, NMSI’s 2013 “School of the Year,” was one of the first two schools to adopt NMSI’s Comprehensive AP program in 2011. In the 2012-2013 school year, Eisenhower was ranked number one in Oklahoma for African-American and Hispanic students receiving a qualifying score in AP math, science and English. That same year the school obtained 118 qualifying scores, exceeding its goals by 54 percent.
“People will look back at this and remember it as being the point that Lawton became known as Oklahoma’s ‘STEM City,’” said Dr. Tom Deighan, Lawton Public Schools superintendent, referring to the positive impact he predicts the NMSI program will have on the state’s economy. “The students who have been involved in the program at Eisenhower High are responsible for that. They are the ones that made this happen.”
NMSI’s Comprehensive AP program currently operates in nine schools and five districts in Oklahoma. The program is in all three Lawton high schools and in all three high schools in the Midwest City-Del City school district. New to the program this year are Tulsa Memorial High School, U.S. Grant High School and Enid High School. NMSI’s program fosters sustained academic achievement in high schools across the nation by providing open enrollment in AP math, science and English classes for all students, increased time on task for students through special study sessions, intensive teacher training, support from master teachers and incentives for teachers and students. The program has been implemented in more than 550 schools across 22 states – approximately two percent of schools in the United States; however, the program accounts for 7.5 percent of the national increase in passing scores on AP math, science and English exams.
About National Math and Science Initiative: 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, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, visit www.nms.org.
*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.
About Northrop Grumman Foundation: The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.
Media Contact: Keith Mitchell, executive director of communication for Lawton Public Schools, kmitchell@lawtongps.org, 580.357.6900.
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