BILL NUMBER: S6725
SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the
advanced coursework expansion incentive grant program
 
PURPOSE:
To create an incentive grant program aimed at expanding AP and other
nationally normed college credit-earning course work in high schools.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill amends the education law by adding a new section to establish
the advanced coursework expansion incentive grant program. High schools
offering fewer than five advanced courses may apply for grants of $350
per economically disadvantaged student who completes a qualifying course
and exam. The funding will support the expansion of advanced courses,
including teacher training and necessary materials.
The bill also outlines the permissible uses of the grant.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Unfortunately, too many New York high schools do not have any Advanced
Placement courses for their students, and many others have very few
course options or far too few sections of those courses, leaving
students who are ready to take an AP course with little or no opportu-
nity. While other programs such as P-Tech can offer some students a
rigorous high school experience, these programs are not offered
universally and are expensive and difficult to scale. We believe that
providing an incentive to get low-income students enrolled in Advanced
Placement courses is easily scalable and is a bold, innovative, and more
affordable option.
New York has a long way to go to offer these opportunities to more
students. In the class of 2024, only 46.5% of students in New York state
took an AP Exam during high school. Additionally, we still have work to
do to ensure equitable access to AP courses and exams. During the 2023-
2024 school year, only 10.4% and 24.1% of public-school AP examinees
were Black and Hispanic, respectively, while 56.8% were White or Asian.
These gaps have narrowed over the past five years, but greater access to
AP courses is essential for New York to meet its postsecondary goals.
Furthermore, while 54.5% of high school students in New York qualify for
free and reduced lunch, only 42.8% of AP test takers qualified in 2024.
We know from recent research the college benefits associated with AP
Exam taking, which is often referred to as the Power of One AP. The
students who complete one AP course and the accompanying exam are three
percentage points more likely to graduate from college within four
years, while students who take an AP Exam and score three or higher were
six percentage points more likely to graduate from college within four
years. The biggest boost in first-year college GPAs - as well as college
degree completion - is associated with taking at least one AP Exam.
Given these results, ensuring students complete at least one AP course
is likely to have the largest return on college outcomes.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The first of July next succeeding the date on which it becomes a law.