Aiken County Public School District officials, in collaboration with academic leaders at South Aiken High School and North Augusta High School, met Monday with regional supporters of the District’s National Math & Science Initiative (NMSI) and two Advanced Placement (AP) academies to provide data on 2016-17 school year results and details on the initiative’s future in Aiken County.
North Augusta High and South Aiken High representatives showed staggering increases in the number of AP class enrollments at the two schools, along with increased numbers of qualifying scores, or those earning college credit, on Advanced Placement assessments. The entire District also saw increased AP enrollments and more qualifying scores during the 2016-17 school year.
“The tremendous advanced placement results presented today provide further validation that when our Aiken County teachers and students face a challenge, they rise to that challenge and exceed expectations,” stated Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford. “We could not be more proud of these two schools, the leadership they have exhibited, and the hard work and determination displayed by their faculty and students.”
“Not only have we witnessed outstanding results at North Augusta High and South Aiken High, but we are also seeing that AP success translate across our school district. Through greater access to more rigorous course work, we want all Aiken County students to enhance their academic standing for college acceptance and ensure their readiness for life as solution-driven, future-ready graduates.”
The presentation, held at the Palmetto Terrace in the North Augusta Municipal Building, also included an announcement of Silver Bluff High School as the third school in Aiken County to participate in the NMSI program.
The National Math & Science Initiative offers increased rigor in academics through Advanced Placement classes and culture shift noted by increases in student enrollments, introducing many more students to college-level course work during high school. Studies show exposure to AP coursework can increase a high school student’s ability to complete a four-year college degree program. Through initial funding by corporate sponsors AECOM and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, and later a gift from GlaxoSmithKline, teachers and students receive enhanced levels of support, including professional development and student mentoring exchanges with area professionals. Students and teachers also earn incentives based upon qualifying scores of three or higher on AP exams.
“AECOM is proud to partner with Aiken County in the development of the STEM academies at South Aiken and North Augusta High Schools,” stated AECOM Vice-President of Marketing and Communications, Keith Wood. “We believe our partnership will help Aiken County become one of the best STEM School Districts in the region, state and nation while developing the graduates that AECOM, and our country, will surely need to prosper in a promising future.”
"SRNS appreciates the opportunity to be a major industry sponsor in the NMSI initiative,” commented Savannah River Nuclear Solutions President and CEO, Stuart MacVean. “We have a real need for the next generation of employees across a diverse range of jobs and careers and are seeing real progress in just NMSI's first year. We look forward to engaging these students in future career opportunities."
AP Success at South Aiken High School
Student enrollments in AP classes at South Aiken High School exploded during the 2016-17 school year with huge gains over 2015-16 enrollments in a 107-percent increase. The school increased the number of AP exams taken by 396 and saw the number of qualifying scores increase by 67.
South Aiken NMSI teachers in Computer Science A and Principles, Physics 1 and English Language met or exceeded their performance goals, and students will receive over $39,000 in incentives based upon their 2016-17 performance!
“We are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish in our first year working with the National Math + Science Initiative and our community partners. Our teachers have worked diligently to provide a 5-Star classroom experience where students are exposed to rigorous coursework and high expectations,” commented Martha Messick, assistant principal and lead NMSI coordinator at South Aiken High School.
“Our students are enrolling in more AP courses than ever before, while also increasing the number of qualified scores earned, and there is no doubt our students are more prepared for the future. We look forward to continued support from our community in order to meet the needs of ALL of our students.”
AP Success at North Augusta High School
Student enrollments in AP classes at North Augusta High School skyrocketed during the 2016-17 school year with tremendous gains over 2015-16 enrollments in a 95-percent increase. The school increased the number of AP exams taken by 306 and saw the number of qualifying scores increase by 91. North Augusta anticipates an additional 39 percent increase in enrollments for the 2017-2018 school year.
North Augusta High launched successful AP programming for freshmen with almost 30 freshmen qualifying with a score of three or higher, and established a successful AP Computer Programming offering with 13 students qualifying with a score of three or higher.
As a testament to the dedication of administrators, teachers and students at the school who have accepted the Advanced Placement challenge, 91 percent of North Augusta High graduates of the Class of 2017 were accepted into post-secondary programs across the nation.
“We have seen a total transformation at North Augusta High School, not just in the curriculum, but also in the attitude of our students,” stated Paige Day, assistant principal and lead NMSI coordinator at North Augusta High School. “Without prodding, our students desire to take challenging course work with a focus on college readiness. Our teachers, students, and their parents have adopted a growth mindset that is taking our school to new levels of excellence.”
Transforming Math + Science in Aiken County’s AP Academies
Aiken County’s two Advanced Placement Academies experienced a combined growth of 55.4% in qualifying math and science scores, with 157 students earning a 3, 4 or 5 in 2015-16 and 244 students qualifying for college credit for their advanced coursework in 2016-17 (an overall increase of 87 scores).
North Augusta High School increased its percentage of students gaining college credit for Advanced Coursework in the areas of math and science by 159%, with just 29 students earning qualifying scores in 2015-16 and 75 for the 2016-17 school year (an increase of 46 students earning a 3, 4 or 5).
South Aiken High School experienced a 32% increase in qualifying Advanced Placement scores, with a 2015-16 total of 128 scores of 3, 4 or 5 and an increase of 41 qualifying scores for 2016-17 year (169 total qualifying scores).
The ‘NMSI-effect’ in Aiken County Public Schools
Were the sum total of our AP success during the 2016-17 school year limited to just those advancements at our AP Academies, they would be impressive enough.
Fortunately, the terrific news and positive affect of NMSI implementation did not stop with those two schools alone. District-wide, Aiken County Public Schools experienced a near 82-percent increase in the number of AP exams administered. Like North Augusta High, Ridge Spring-Monetta High School saw an increase in AP exams administered of over 100 percent, with Ridge Spring-Monetta High also increasing the number of qualifying scores.
Significant increases across Aiken County Public Schools were recorded in the number of AP exams administered in the sciences, with a 68-percent increase in the number of AP Biology exams taken, a 189-percent increase in the number of AP Physics assessments given, and significant increases in Computer Science and Computer Science Principles exams taken over 2015-16 figures.
The Power of Two: Driving a Vision of Inclusivity and Post-Secondary Success
We believe all Aiken County students have the ability to succeed in the classroom and in life, and we want to provide as many students as possible with greater opportunities to challenge themselves to reach their next level of academic performance and career potential. That is where Advanced Placement coursework and the NMSI program play a crucial role. They expose greater numbers of students to STEM-related training and related career options, more of them master rigorous course content and meet national standards of excellence, and they help students develop sound foundational academic behaviors, which research shows as providing a direct pathway to success in post-secondary study.
Within the context of an awards-based program, they provide an incentive platform that serves as an extra source of motivation for students and teachers, but more importantly, they help drive the Power of Two, which, in turn, drives our vision for the entire initiative. At first glance, when a student in the NMSI program scores a two on an Advanced Placement exam, this effort may appear to have been a failure. The student did not produce a qualifying score and did not receive a financial reward. Yes, in the short term, the student may be disappointed. However, taking a longer view, we know this same student has still taken a huge leap forward toward future academic success and the ability to impact positively upon our community.
Research shows that students reaching a score of two on an Advanced Placement exam posted significantly higher grade point averages in both their first and fourth years of post-secondary education. That is the Power of Two hard at work long after the student has completed their studies in Aiken County Public Schools. Without access to AP coursework, that same student may have experienced a much different outcome.
The exposure to Advanced Placement instruction and participation in that more rigorous environment on the part of greater numbers of students also serves our goal of inclusivity for all by helping close gaps surrounding race and socio-economic status related to post-secondary success indicators such as earning power and degree attainment that have shown stubborn resiliency in the past. Research found that while students of all races who participated in Advanced Placement incentive programs were more likely to remain in college beyond their first year – and more likely to earn a college degree and higher wages. The same studies show associated earnings increases for Hispanic and black students were also large enough to reduce the earnings gap between black and white students by one-third, and eliminate the earnings gap between Hispanic and white students completely.
The greater possibility of a positive outcome for all Aiken County students, as exhibited by the Power of Two, drives our vision for inclusivity and post-secondary success.
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2017 PR FALL THEMATIC PROGRAM UPDATE