Pell grants vs. advanced placement

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 2004 by Kirk A. Johnson

This discrepancy likely is the result of two factors. First, there is a well-documented academic achievement gap between low-income students and their more "affluent peers. For example, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2002, one percent of the 12th-grade students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunches exhibited an advanced level of proficiency in reading, compared to nearly five percent of students from higher-income families. These high-achieving students would be the most likely to benefit from rigorous college-level studies.

A second, and related, reason is that the demand for AP classes in low-income areas may not be sufficient to justify the costs of their implementation at individual schools. In these areas, only a few students may have the aptitude necessary to benefit from an AP regimen. Cost concerns are augmented by the fact that, in low-income schools, even fewer students may be sufficiently advanced to qualify for AP classes, thereby increasing the per-pupil expenditures.

Another drawback is that these courses may duplicate classes that currently are being offered in institutions of higher education. Indeed, the point of the AP program, according to the College Board, is to "get a head start on exactly the sort of work you will confront in college." Classes similar to the ones in the AP program can be found at virtually all of the nearly 2,100 community colleges and state universities across the U.S.

For the most part, these institutions already have the infrastructure to offer these types of classes, and they exist in close proximity to high school students--especially those in low-income urban areas. Consequently, these AP programs would tend to duplicate the kinds of classes that already are available at a broad range of colleges and universities.

A final--and key--policy question in evaluating the AP Incentive Program versus other alternatives is: How many students does the program serve? A corollary question is: How far is the reach of the program in terms of the potential population of students served? There is reason to believe that estimates have been overstated. They are based on the assumption that the program would benefit two groups: those who directly are served through newly formed AP classes and those who are not in the AP classes but would profit indirectly through the increased teacher training provided by the program. Estimates from the Department of Education peg the total number of beneficiaries at approximately 370,000 students attending 550 middle schools and high schools.

This assumes that all students in a given school benefit from the existence of AP classes. Applying this premise, a remedial student is counted as a beneficiary of the program, as is an advanced student enrolled in an AP course. This clearly overstates the program's reach.

Currently, the AP Incentive Program initiative offers tutoring and summer enrichment programs for students, as well as teacher training. Overall, however, it has a limited reach because of the program's relatively small dollar funding. During 2002-03, the AP Incentive Program funded a mere 35 projects, with most of the money going to individual school districts and a few state education agencies.