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NMSI Expands AP Program in RISD Thanks to $1.4 Million Grant from The Texas Instruments Foundation

Additional funding expands Advanced Placement program in Richardson ISD to achieve rigorous math and science courses for students
 
 
 
DALLAS -- The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), a non-profit organization launched in 2007 to transform math and science education in the United States, announced that its comprehensive Advanced Placement* (AP) program will expand to Richardson High School, Pearce High School, Berkner High School, and Lake Highlands High School, thanks to a grant from the Texas Instruments Foundation.
 
“This innovative program will raise the academic bar and open doors to college for more students by providing them with more rigorous, project-based coursework to help them succeed in the highly competitive fields of science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Sara Martinez, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative.  “The partnership with these high schools will help make a huge impact on young students’ lives in Texas.”
 
Funding was made possible by a $1,400,000 grant from The Texas Instruments Foundation, announced last night at the Richardson Independent School District (RISD) board meeting. Texas Instruments Foundation supports programs that increase the number and diversity of secondary school graduates who are math-and-science proficient and who choose STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. The expansion will bring the total number of schools implementing the NMSI AP program in Texas to 73 schools in 16 districts.
 
 
 
“We are excited about the opportunities that the Texas Instruments Foundation is providing our students,” explains Dr. Kay Waggoner, superintendent of RISD. “The grant will allow us to work with NMSI to increase the number of students in AP and pre-AP courses and the rigor of these courses. These efforts are a vital part of RISD’s emphasis on college and career readiness.”
 
“The TI Foundation began working with the AP program more than a decade ago in, and we have found it to be a very effective program with proven outcomes of increased student participation and success,” said Ann Pomykal, TI Foundation executive director.  “It’s also an effective tool to recognize excellence in teaching the vigorous AP coursework.”
 
NMSI’s AP program is open to all students in participating high schools who are eligible for AP classes.  Program components include study sessions outside of normal school hours as well as intense training for grades 6-12 teachers who will build the pipeline of students who are AP-ready. Access to the 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.  For more information about NMSI’s AP program, watch NMSI’s AP program Delivers Dramatic Results video.
 
 
 
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 rapid expansion of these highly successful programs: NMSI’s AP program, NMSI’s Teacher Training program, and UT Austin’s UTeach program. NMSI’s AP program dramatically increases the number of students taking and passing AP math, science, and English exams, and expands access to traditionally underrepresented students and students in military families. NMSI’s Teacher Training program has trained over 60,000 teachers to deliver more rigorous lessons in the classroom and was selected by PARCC as a premier partner to deliver common core teacher training. The UTeach program, which is now in 35 universities in 17 states, will produce a new generation of content-trained teachers that will impact millions of students in the next decade. Inaugural funding for NMSI, was provided by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, please visit www.nms.org.
 
*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.
 
Media Contact:  Mary Ortiz, 214-346-1245, mortiz@nms.org­­­­