Jeff Bingaman: “Senators Specter and Harkin, I'd like to express my appreciation to you and your committee members for agreeing on the…”

“Senators Specter and Harkin, I'd like to express my appreciation to you and your committee members for agreeing on the importance of the Advanced Placement (AP) Incentive Program by recommending that it be funded at $20,000,000--a $5,000,000 increase over last year's appropriation. As you know, the AP program provides rigorous instruction to high school students by teachers who have had additional, intensive professional development. While historically it was the well-to-do elite that had access to these courses--which not only cover advanced material but enable students to gain college credit and advanced standing--today the AP program continues to expand its reach, so that over half of all high schools in the nation offer AP courses in a variety of subject areas. The fact of the matter is that in this era of focus on high standards and improving student achievement, the AP program offers proven impact on student outcomes in high school, and there is even research that shows that regardless of the grade attained, a student who has access to more rigorous course work in high school is more likely to complete college. As you know, the AP Incentive Program helps ensure that AP classes are within reach of low income students by subsidizing the cost of taking the AP test.”