Maine's Advanced Placement Program

Maine's Commitment to Open and Equitable Access

The Maine Department of Education is committed to equity of access to more rigorous and advanced curriculum for all students throughout the state. The Maine Department of Education is proud to partner with The College Board, The National Governor's Association and The United States Department of Education in order to bring this commitment to fruition. Through the Advanced Placement Program, The Advanced Placement Incentive Grant, The Advanced Placement Test Fee Reduction Grant, and AP4ALL, there has been a significant increase in the number of Maine students enrolling in and succeeding in Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The Maine Department of Education strongly encourages secondary educators and administrators to recruit and support students who may or may not fit a historically traditional AP student profile. Along with The College Board, the Maine Department of Education believes that more students should be recruited for advanced coursework and that any student willing to accept the challenge of Advance Placement coursework be considered for admission in an Advanced Placement course. Please see The College Board's AP Equity Policy Statement (http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/ipeAPC/ap03_ap_equity_policy_22057.pdf).

Identifying Potential AP Students

The Maine Department of Education strongly encourages teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and AP coordinators to utilize The College Board's free on-line tool, AP Potential (https://appotential.collegeboard.com/welcome.do) to identify students who might not self-select an AP course and who are likely to score a 3 or better on a given AP Exam. Based on research done by the College Board there is a strong correlation between PSAT/NMSQT scores and AP Exam results. These studies show that PSAT/NMSQT scores are stronger predictors of students' AP Exam grades than the more traditional signposts such as high school grades, grades in previous same-discipline course work, and the number of same-discipline courses a student has taken.
For more information on the research underlying AP Potential, download the 2006 Research Report (.pdf/1.5M).

Success through Professional Development

Maine's Advanced Placement Program provides a significant amount of professional development for Maine teachers and administrators. Since the year 2000, over 70 high schools and 700 teachers have participated in professional development, coaching, mentoring, and networking and access to on-line courses and support that have yielded excellent results for teachers and students. Maine ranks among the top states that have increased the number of students succeeding on AP examinations. This is an example of what can happen when broader and more equitable access to college readiness learning opportunities are made available to students in grades 6-12. All AP and non AP teachers, (as all are preparing students for AP) coordinators, administrators, and guidance counselors are encouraged to access the professional development opportunities provided through Maine's Advanced Placement Program.
To learn more about Advanced Placement Program opportunities choose from the following:

Upcoming Events:
The New England Regional Forum, February 3-5, 2008 www.collegeboard.com/nero/forum
Advanced Placement Celebration! March 1, 2008, Holiday Inn By the Bay Portland

Advanced Placement Information

CONTACT INFORMATION

Maine's Advanced Placement Program