Advanced Placement Classes - College
and Career Success for All Students
New Grant for AP funding for March to June 2006
Springfield, Ill. -- The Illinois State Board of Education
is introducing a new grant for Advanced Placement®
(AP®) funding entitled Advanced Placement Classes
– College and Career Success for all Students. This
grant and the programs it will fund are aimed at expanding
and enhancing AP® and pre-AP programming in low income
schools and districts.
The purpose of the College and Career Success for All
Students Act is to “ensure that each Illinois student
has a sufficient education for success after high school
and that all students have equal access to a substantive
and rigorous curriculum that is designed to challenge
their minds, enhance their knowledge and skills, and prepare
them for success in college and work.”
The Illinois State Board of Education will be funding
grants to encourage school districts with a high percentage
of low-income students to establish or expand programs
designed to offer the rigorous coursework necessary for
these students to succeed in postsecondary education or
in the work place. Such programs include Advanced Placement
(AP®) and Pre-Advancement (Pre-AP) programs for students
in grades 6 through 12.
By meeting the criteria listed below, schools are eligible
to develop and submit for review, a Request for Proposal
(RFP) application which must be completed and received
at the Illinois State Board of Education Springfield office
no later than the close of business on March 6, 2006.
Public school districts and schools that are eligible
to apply must have 40% or more of students eligible for
free or reduced lunch. Eligible entities are listed on
the ISBE website at http://www.isbe.net/curriculum/html/advanced_placement.htm.
Districts not on the list, but claiming eligibility must
provide a school report card to verify their claim. Funding
for this cycle will end June 31, 2006. Further funding
is contingent on legislative support and may be available
for FY07.
It is important to note that all funded applications
must set aside 50% of grant receipts for professional
development offerings from the College Board. No exceptions
will be made. The remaining 50% can be used for support
of teachers attending professional development and student
support in AP® and pre-AP programs. Suggestions on
appropriate and fundable program elements are outlined
in the RFP. There is also a 5% administrative cap and
no computer hardware requests will be considered.
The annual grant awards will average $100,000 per district,
or $40,000 per school, as determined by the program design,
size of program, and available funds. Total amount of
funding that will be available is $1,500,000.
The grant period will begin no sooner than March 7, 2006,
and will extend from the executed date of the grant until
June 30, 2006. Funding may be available for two additional
years. Funding in the subsequent years will be contingent
upon a sufficient appropriation for the program and satisfactory
progress in the preceding grant period.
Mail the original and two copies of the proposal to the
Division of Curriculum and Instruction, Illinois State
Board of Education, 100 North First Street, C-215, Springfield,
Illinois 62777-0001, to ensure receipt no later than March
6, 2006. No fax copies will be accepted.
Proposals also may be hand-delivered to the following
locations:
| Springfield Office |
Chicago Office |
| Information Center |
Reception Area |
| 1st Floor |
Suite 14-300 |
| 100 North First Street |
100 West Randolph Street |
For further information contact Lou Berkman at (312)
814-3853, or by email at lberkman@isbe.net.
Additional information is also available at http://www.isbe.net/curriculum/html/advanced_placement.htm.
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