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Schools

Pinellas gets $1.5-million for schools

By THOMAS C. TOBIN
Published May 19, 2005

LARGO - For two years, Pinellas public schools have been pushing minority and low-income students to take high-level courses in middle and high school. Now the district will have more money to help with the job.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Pinellas $1.5-million over three years to increase minority and low-income enrollment in honors and Advanced Placement courses. The grant was awarded as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which aims to combat assumptions that minority and low-income students cannot handle higher level courses. Many educators consider increased enrollment in honors and Advanced Placement courses a key to the act's goal of improving student performance. Students benefit, even if they get a low grade, because exposure to higher level material improves critical thinking skills, Pinellas officials have said.

Students who take Advanced Placement courses get a jump on college, tackling college-level material and earning college credit.

The number of students of all races taking Advanced Placement tests has been rising for about five years, according to the Florida Department of Education. The number of African-American and Hispanic students in Florida who take the testsincreased in 1993 by 25 percent - far outpacing the increase among white students and surpassing their peers nationwide. But a large gap still exists between African-American students and higher performing white, Hispanic and Asian students. Only 7 percent of African-American 11th- and 12th-graders in Florida took the tests in 2003 compared with 19 percent of white students, 19 percent of Hispanic students and 51 percent of Asian students.

The grant money will go to Boca Ciega, Dixie Hollins, Gibbs and Northeast high schools and to Azalea Middle, John Hopkins, Meadowlawn, Pinellas Park, Riviera, Thurgood Marshall and Tyrone middle schools. Money can be spent on teacher training, new AP courses, preparing students for advanced courses, supplies and online courses.

[Last modified May 19, 2005, 19:12:52]