COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI), in partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), will award $19,900 to students who received a passing score of three or more on the math, science and English on Advanced Placement exams at Mesa Ridge High School and Widefield High School as a part of the Colorado Legacy Schools Initiative.

The monetary incentives were awarded at halftime during the Mesa Ridge and Widefield football game on October 4 at the C.A. Foster Stadium at Widefield High School. The Colorado Legacy Schools initiative is a local replication of NMSI’s proven College Readiness Program, which has an unparalleled record of closing achievement gaps and increasing college readiness in participating schools.

“The Legacy Schools Initiative has helped WSD3 expand Advanced Placement offerings for students while providing financial assistance to students which has helped to increase the number of students that are taking AP exams. As a result, more of our students are graduating with college credit that is accepted at universities through the US. The initiative has given WSD3# teachers more frequent and in-depth training which I believe has been a critical component of increasing student achievement and success,” said superintendent Scott Campbell.

Over the three-year life of this grant, both Mesa Ridge and Widefield High School have shown remarkable growth, dramatically increasing the number and diversity of students succeeding in AP courses. The number of students who received qualifying scores on an AP exam increased from 46 to 199 (an increase of 332 percent). In an effort to pave the way for continued AP growth, teachers and counselors have helped to promote enrollment and recruit students for AP programs. Principals and administrators have also served as key leaders in the expansion of this initiative by dedicating professional development time to this work and aligning the instructional vision of the school to AP and college readiness.

Colorado Legacy Schools supports students in both geographically and demographically diverse schools to increase success in rigorous math, science and English AP courses among all students – especially those from poverty, ethically, and racially diverse backgrounds. The initiative provides funding for extensive teacher training, student exam fees, classroom equipment and supplies, awards for those who excel and extra time on task for students during Saturday study sessions.

Learn more about The Colorado Education Initiative at coloradoedinitiative.org.

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About The Colorado Education Initiative
The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) is an independent nonprofit working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education and public education stakeholders to accelerate bold improvement in student achievement through innovation, collaboration, and capacity building. CEI believes that increased student achievement for all Colorado students requires effective leaders in every school, effective educators in every classroom and healthy and engaging environments that ignite a passion for learning in every student.