SALEM — The number of Salem High students and Salem Academy Charter School students enrolled in math, science and English Advanced Placement courses has more than doubled in the schools' first year of participation in a new grant program.
At Salem High, 180 students are taking English, math and science AP courses this year, up from 86 last year. At the charter school, 45 students are in AP classes now, compared with 20 last year.
The Advanced Placement Training and Awards Program, which pays both teachers and students for success on Advanced Placement exams, aims to improve student achievement in math and science by boosting enrollment in AP courses and providing teacher training, student study sessions, funding and other supports.
As incentives, students receive $100 for each English, math or science AP exam on which they receive a qualifying score of 3 or better, out of a maximum of five points. Teachers get $100 for each student who scores a 3 or better on those exams, a $500 stipend, and may also receive an additional threshold award of up to $3,000.
The Salem Teachers Union objects to the teacher payments and considers it merit pay.
So far, however, the program has met one of its goals, by increasing the number of students taking the more rigorous AP courses.
Beyond enrollment in the targeted English, math and science courses covered by the grant, overall enrollment in AP courses at Salem High School has risen 69 percent this year, from 169 to 286, according to Principal David Angeramo.
He also noted that more than 25 percent of the junior and senior classes are taking AP courses.
"We did talk to teachers; a lot of them encouraged students in class to give AP a try," Angeramo told the School Committee at a recent meeting. "We had assemblies with students when it came time to pick classes. Teachers, by and large, were onboard with embracing that."
At Salem Academy Charter School, which opened in 2004, Rachel Hunt, the head of school, said they were "looking for a way of promoting Advanced Placement and encouraging a broader spectrum of our students to engage in AP courses.
"Our first few years, a very small, self-selected group was interested," she said. "We were trying to build students' confidence and expand the diversity of the group that was enrolling."
The grant program, run by the Boston-based Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative, was rolled out at Peabody High School last year.
In Peabody, the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses has more than tripled, and the number of students passing the college-level courses by scoring a 3 or better on the exam has jumped from 66 to 134.
"My hope is I'll be here a year from now," Angeramo said, "talking about the actual achievement on the test."
Hunt said she is hoping to have at least 20 qualifying scores, out of 45 students taking the courses, although she anticipates more.
"In 2010, we had 15 qualifying scores out of 20 in math, science and English, which was a fabulous rate," Hunt said. "Ninety-two percent of our kids passed the AP English test last year."
Staff writer Amanda McGregor can be reached at amcgregor@salemnews.com or 978-338-2665.
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