As long-time readers of my emails know, I co-founded the Rewarding Achievement Scholarship Challenge (REACH) program, an incentive scholarship program that seeks to help high-achieving low-income and minority students succeed academically in high school, go to good colleges, and earn four-year college degrees. Entering its third year of operation in New York City, REACH has supported the work of over 10,000 students and their teachers at 28 participating NYC inner-city high schools. It's the largest scholarship program of its kind and is really working: last year, the number of AP exams passed at our schools rose 19%, driven by a 26% gain by black and Latino students.
REACH Scholar Awards are the core of the program: for each AP exam they pass, students at participating high schools receive $300, $400 or $500 in cash for each passing score of 3, 4 or 5, respectively. But REACH is more than just financial incentives for students: we provide professional development for over 100 AP teachers and make cash grants to classrooms based on student performance. We also help students pass AP exams via a program called Learn, Earn, Win!, which is three full days of intensive workshops (all Saturdays in the spring; 21 hours of total instruction), taught by AP experts from around the country, for each of 15 AP exams. Last year, 70% of eligible students participated and they passed at a 39% rate vs. only 17% among those who didn't.
I've posted a slide presentation about REACH at: www.tilsonfunds.com/Personal/REACHslides.pdf