For Immediate Release
May 22, 2006
Illinois State Board of Education announces recipients
of $1.5 million in Advanced Placement grants
Springfield, Ill. – The Illinois State Board of
Education has announced awards to Illinois schools through
the Advanced Placement Classes - College and Career Success
for All Students competitive grant program for Fiscal
Year 2006. The amount of funds for this year is a total
of $1.5 million, which will be divided among the 28 successful
bidders.
The Advanced Placement Program® is a cooperative
educational endeavor between secondary schools and colleges
and universities. Since its inception in 1955, the program
has provided motivated high school students with the opportunity
to take college-level courses in a high school setting.
Students who participate in the program not only gain
college-level skills, but in many cases also earn college
credit while they are still in high school. AP courses
are taught by dedicated and enthusiastic high school teachers
who follow course guidelines developed and published by
the College Board.
On February 3, 2006 the Illinois State Board of Education
issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Advanced
Placement Classes – College and Career Success for
All Students competitive grant program, with a March 6,
2006 deadline for application submission. Fifty proposals
were received from Illinois public schools.
PA 094-0534, the “College and Career Success for
all Students Act” was enacted during the 2005 legislative
session. The legislation provides for staff development
training and support for students enrolled or preparing
for Advanced Placement classes. This includes pre-AP programming
in middle or high schools. ISBE made these funds available
through a competitive bid grant program, with eligibility
requirements from schools or districts of 40% low income
students. The RFP stipulated that individual schools could
request no more than $40,000 and districts no more than
$100,000. Eligible entities may use these funds for AP
or pre-AP programs, but must allocate 50 percent of any
budget for contracted professional development offerings
from the College Board.
These funds are currently appropriated annually as a
new line in the ISBE budget. This grant may be refunded
for a second and third year contingent on a sufficient
appropriation from the Illinois Legislature for future
years. Also contingent on funding and agency discussion,
funded programs may have the opportunity to submit a budget
for year 2 (FY07) and year 3 (FY08) for a continuation
of the grant that reflects activities commensurate with
this legislation and the on-going need for AP and pre-AP
program support. The RFP indicated that all funds received
under this grant would have to be used by June 30, 2006,
but a subsequent decision was made to allow successful
bidders to have until August 31, 2006 to engage in activities
and utilize funds.
Proposals were evaluated by a panel of practitioners
familiar with all aspects of Advanced Placement programs,
as well as individuals familiar with challenges of low-income
schools and districts.
The list of schools receiving grants, follows:
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Infinity MST.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Youth Connections.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Kelvyn Park High School.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Wendell Phillips High
School.
- Sterling Community Unit District 5, Sterling High
School.
- Aurora East District 131, Cowherd, Simmons and Waldo
Middle, East High.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Noble Network Charter
Schools.
- Astoria Community Unit School District 1.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Lane Tech.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, North Lawndale.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Foreman High School.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, EXCEL Academy.
- Aurora West Unit School District 129.
- Kankakee School District 111.
- Springfield School District 186.
- Galesburg Community Unit School District 205.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Prosser Career Academy.
- Community High School District 218.
- Community Unit School District 300.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, Harlan Community Academy
High School.
- South Holland School District 150, McKinley Junior
High School.
- Crete-Monee School District 201U.
- School District U-46.
- City of Chicago Schools 299, North Grand High School.
- Sparta Community Unit School District 140.
- Waukegan Public Schools District 60.
- Peoria District 150, Peoria School District 150.
- Decatur Public Schools District 61.
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