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Supporting science, technology, engineering and math education
When high school chemistry teacher Rachmad Tjachyadi first became involved in the Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) eight years ago, he was skeptical. As a new teacher at W.T. White High School in Dallas, he believed advanced placement (AP) courses should not be open to all students.
“My perception in the beginning was that only the highest achieving students could handle these challenging college-level courses,” said Tjachyadi, whose students call him “Mr. T.” “I was worried that opening the door for everybody could water down the materials.”
Over the years, Mr. T. said the program has proven him wrong.
A strategy for success
The APIP was envisioned by Dallas philanthropist and education supporter Peter O’Donnell, Jr. and initiated by the O’Donnell Foundation in 1996. The TI Foundation has supported the program since 2000.
The APIP’s initial goals were to have more Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) students — reflecting the diversity of the district — take and pass AP exams in math, science and English, and to increase the number of students enrolled in pre-AP and AP classes.
In addition to helping students pass advanced placement tests, the program dramatically increases college readiness. In a statewide Texas study, AP success correlates with much greater success in college. For African-American and Hispanic students, six-year college graduation rates rise from 15 to 60 percent or higher if they score a three or higher on at least one AP exam.
According to the National Math and Science Institute, students passing AP exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree than students who do not pass. African-American and Hispanic students who pass an AP exam are four times more likely to earn a college degree than those who do not pass.
The APIP has proven so successful in Texas that it has now become a model across six states and in 229 schools. Currently, 20 states are on program waiting lists.
Becoming better teachers
Under the program, AP teachers like Tjachyadi receive $100 for each student’s AP exam score of three or higher and an additional $100 per qualifying score for meeting a campus target course goal set by the nonprofit organization Advanced Placement Strategies (ASP). AP students at all Dallas ISD high schools receive $100 for achieving qualifying scores on the exams.
“The program gives incentive to students and teachers to become better,” Tjachyadi said. “It also gives teachers the tools and training we need to better prepare our students for college life and beyond.”
In addition to offering financial incentives, the APIP provides participating teachers training and development opportunities several times each year. Many of these opportunities include working directly with teachers who have successfully implemented the program in their classrooms.
During training sessions, established program teachers provide tips for writing student tests and notes, offer guidance for preparing students to participate in lab activities, and share other proven implementation ideas.
“Teaching AP topics is hard; these teachers show us how to effectively teach the material,” Tjachyadi explained. “They help us approach the topics more effectively with the students and show us the areas where we need to focus to help our students pass the AP exam.”
Taking it to the next level
In the beginning, Tjachyadi admits he did not have a lot of success in getting his students to pass the AP exam.
During his first year in the APIP, none of his 18 chemistry students passed the exam. The next year, in 2005, his success rate rose to 50 percent, with six out of 12 students passing the test.
Tjachyadi attributes this initial achievement to the APIP training he received, along with program guidance gleaned from the lead APIP teacher in his district.
He also realized that teaching his students to develop good study habits was a key to success.
“The students are not used to the coursework and studying, so I started giving them a lot of work even during the school breaks,” he said. “I also met them at Starbucks during the breaks to answer questions and encourage them.”
Gaining popularity
As the APIP continued to gain popularity at W.T. White High School, Tjachyadi eventually saw his class sizes double. By 2007, with 40 students taking his AP chemistry class, he realized he needed to change his teaching approach to ensure that all of his students could be successful.
As many of his students are not used to working independently, Tjachyadi devised a new teaching method that enabled them to do their homework in his classroom during open study hours. In addition to providing written solutions to homework questions during his study halls, he works one-on-one with students and encourages them to form study groups.
“I encourage the kids who are at a higher level to teach their struggling peers,” he said. “This helps both students — because to teach the material to someone, a person really has to know the material very well.”
That year, 16 out of the 40 students passed the AP exam. By 2010, Tjachyadi improved his success ratio, with 23 out of 52 students passing the exam.
“Sometimes the students will pass my class, but they won’t pass the AP exam,” he explained. “But regardless, many of my students have told me that the study habits they learned while they were in my class helped them be successful in college and that they passed their college chemistry courses with ease.”
Achieving districtwide success
The APIP was expanded to all 32 Dallas ISD high schools in 2010, thanks to a three-year $1.5 million grant from the TI Foundation.
Under the grant agreement in Dallas, the TI Foundation provides monetary incentives for participating students, AP teachers, lead teachers, principals and campuses, while the O’Donnell Foundation funds student incentives for 15 of the high schools.
Cumulatively, the program has given financial incentives to 9,026 students in 17 high schools who might otherwise not have taken pre-AP or AP classes and then passed more than 16,000 AP tests.
In 2010, students in Dallas ISD passed 1,882 AP math, science and English exams, up from 158 in 1995 before the APIP was implemented.
“The incentive program has helped me tremendously to grow as an AP teacher,” Tjachyadi said. “This program has not only given me the resources to be successful; it has helped establish a culture of rigorous academia.”
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