COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 70
December 6, 2002
ADMINISTRATIVE
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Advanced
Placement Fee Payment Program |
The U. S.
Department of Education has awarded the Virginia Department of Education a
grant that will enable the department to reimburse part or all of the cost of
the 2003 Advanced Placement test fees for low-income students who are enrolled
in an Advanced Placement class and who plan to take an Advanced Placement
test. The purpose of this grant is to
increase the participation of low-income students in Advanced Placement classes
and testing. While a majority of
Virginias high schools participate in the Advanced Placement program, some
divisions have indicated that they have students who are capable of taking
Advanced Placement courses but who cannot afford to take the tests.
Virginias
grant award of $40,000 will not be adequate to meet the total needs of the
school divisions. Consequently, the
Department of Education needs to establish a formula for distributing these
funds in an equitable manner. Please
find attached a survey form requesting that you provide the department with (1)
the total number of students in your division who are enrolled in Advanced
Placement courses for the 2002-2003 school year; (2) the number of students who
plan to take the Advanced Placement test in 2002-2003; and (3) how many of
these students could be classified in the low-income category. Students eligible for free or reduced-priced
lunches, students whose families receive assistance under the Aid to Families
with Dependent Children program, or students eligible to receive medical
assistance under the Medicaid program may be classified as low-income. The Department of Education will develop a
formula for distributing these funds based upon the data received from this
survey.
Please return
the enclosed survey form to Bob Almond, director of grants and special
projects, Division of Instruction at the Virginia Department of Education, P.
O. Box 2120, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120 or fax it to (804)371-2456 by
December 31, 2002.
For further
information, you may contact Bob Almond (ralmond@pen.k12.va.us)
at (804)225-3349.
JLD/RAA/sgj
Attachment
/administrators/superintendents_memos/2002/adm070a.pdf