Schoharie Central joins with 6 schools, BOCES to win $1.2 million Virtual AP grant

Schoharie Central School District is one of seven school districts and the Capital Region BOCES to apply for and win a $1.2 million New York State Education Department grant to develop virtual Advanced Placement (AP) courses for high school students. The effort will make such courses available to greater numbers of students, better preparing them for college and careers.

The other partner districts in the Capital Region Virtual AP Consortium include: Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District, Cohoes City School District, Duanesburg Central School District, Mohonasen Central School District, Sharon Springs Central School District and Watervliet City School District.

The districts worked with the Capital Region BOCES Grants Development Service to apply for the grant, which was announced Nov. 30. The grant was one of only 17 awarded statewide, and just nine consortiums across the state will receive funding. The Capital Region BOCES Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) and Educational Support Services staff are serving as lead agency for the program.

Schoharie superintendent Brian Sherman said, "Our seven districts worked as a team to develop a cohesive plan that will bring unique coursework opportunities to our students for years to come, as well as providing teaching staff with the instructional skills and blended learning capacity for an educational future few could have imagined a couple years ago.

 “In these times of fiscal crisis facing schools, we need innovative approaches for providing instruction that will prepare our students to succeed in the global economy we are currently immersed in.”

The 18-month grant will fund the development of four blended virtual AP courses, which will be delivered to students in all the districts through a mix of online and face-to-face teaching. The program will also increase the number of low-income students taking AP classes, which could result in those students earning college credit in high school.

The grant was one of only 17 awarded statewide, and one of only nine consortiums across the state to receive funding. The grant was written by Capital Region BOCES’ Grants & Development Office working with its school district partners.

 \In  a news release announcing the awards, New York State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. said “VAP will open the door to virtual classrooms that will let students take courses on their own schedule and learn at their own pace. We want every student to be ready for college and careers, not just those who live in districts that can afford to offer AP classes.”

The grant awarded to the Capital Region Virtual AP Consortium will:

• Fund extensive professional development for teams of teachers and administrators on creating virtual courses.

• Cover AP testing fees for students who are low income.

• Provide interactive video systems to enhance distance learning and video conferencing (including cameras, projection displays and audio equipment) for the seven school districts.

• Provide tablets (with data plans where necessary) for all students taking the new courses.

[12/6/12]