Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007)
Chapter: Appendix F K–12 Education Recommendations Supplementary Information
Appendix F
K–12 Education Recommendations Supplementary Information
JUSTIFICATION FOR NUMBERS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN THE AP/IB AND PRE-AP/IB PROGRAMS RECOMMENDED IN ACTION A-2
Students
The goal is to have 1,500,000 high school students taking at least one Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) mathematics or science exam by 2010, an increase to 23% from 6.5% of US high school juniors and seniors who took at least one AP math or science exam in 2004, with 700,000 passing the exam1 (see Exhibit 1). AP/IB classes must be open to all students.
Exhibit 1 US Public School Enrollment and AP Participation
|
|
Projected 2004a |
Projected 2010b |
|
Total Grade 9–12 Enrollment Total Grade 11–12 Enrollment |
14,700,000 |
14,600,000 6,500,000 |
|
|
Actual 2004c |
Projected 2010 |
|
Number of High School Jr./Sr. Taking at Least One AP Mathematics or Science Exam |
380,000 |
1,500,000 |
|
Percent of Jr./Sr. Taking at Least One AP Mathematics or Science Exam |
6.5% |
23% |
|
AP Mathematics or Science Teachers Students per AP Teacher |
33,000 11.5 |
100,000 15 |
|
aThe College Board. bStatistical Abstract of the United States: 2004-2005. Table 202. cThe College Board. |
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The proposed AP incentive program (APIP) has increased the number of students taking AP exams. To measure AP participation in a school, district, state, or nation, we calculated the number of students taking AP exams per 1,000 juniors and seniors. In 2005, the number of students taking AP exams in all math, science, or English in the Dallas 10 districts was 2.3 times that of the national level (see Exhibit 2).
Exhibit 2 Students Taking AP Math, Science, and English Exams per 1,0002 Juniors and Seniors Enrolled
|
Dallas 10 APIP Schools |
245 students |
|
Texas Public Schools |
131 students |
|
US Public Schools |
105 students |
Teachers—AP/IB
The AP and pre-AP programs as proposed would provide professional development for 150,000 teachers now in the classroom to teach rigorous math and science courses in middle and high schools. Of these, 70,000 will
teach Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses in mathematics and science.3 In addition, 80,000 teachers in grades 6–11 who are now in the classroom will receive training, teachers guides, and assessments instruments, such as those available in the Laying the Foundation program, to prepare them to teach pre-AP mathematics and science courses that lead up to AP or IB courses. The proposed professional development program for AP/IB teachers is 7 days a year for 4 years; for Laying the Foundation teachers it is 8 days a year for 4 years.
Assuming 10% attrition among the current 33,000 AP mathematics and science teachers and by training an additional 70,000 teachers, public high schools would have an estimated 100,000 mathematics and science teachers capable of teaching AP or IB courses in place by 2010. This number is based on a realistic goal with the capacity to provide quality professional training for teachers on a large scale. As they become more productive and confident as teachers, they will recruit more students into demanding mathematics and science courses. We then realistically can expect steady increases in the numbers of junior and senior students who will take AP/IB mathematics and science exams to 1.5 million students by 2010, with increases well beyond 2010.
Teachers—Pre-AP/IB
This proposal will provide pre-AP math and science training in content and pedagogy for 80,000 teachers who are currently in grades 6–11 classrooms. The 4-year training program includes 8 days of training each year for 4 years and the classroom materials (vertically aligned curriculum, lesson plans, laboratory exercises, and diagnostics) needed to teach the more demanding math and science courses. By 2010, these teachers will help an estimated 5 million students each year develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to enlarge the AP pipeline in math and science. This represents an estimated 20% of US students who will be enrolled in grades 6–11 in 2010 (see Exhibit 3).
Exhibit 3 K–12 Students, Teachers, and Salariesa
|
|
# Students |
# Teachers |
Average Salary |
# Science and Math Teachers |
|
K–5 6–8 |
29,627,634 |
1,781,900 |
$46,408 |
350,702b (191K in science, 160K in mathematics) |
|
9–12 |
18,504,864 |
1,264,723 |
$47,120 |
|
|
High School Grads (2003-2004) |
2,771,781 |
|
|
|
|
Total (Fall 2003) |
48,132,518 |
3,046,623 |
$46,752 |
(1,700,000)c |
|
aUnless otherwise noted, figures, excerpts, and charts are for the 2003-2004 school year, as reported by National Education Association. Rankings and Estimates. Atlanta, GA: NEA Research, 2005. Available at: http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/05rankings.pdf. bFor the 1999-2000 school year. cFrom Glenn Commission report, 2000. Includes ALL primary school teachers, as well as specialty teachers in middle and upper grades. NOTE: In 2003, there were 15,397 US school districts, and the average amount spent per K– 12 student from all revenue sources was $8,248. |
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