SALEM — Salem High School may participate in a controversial grant program that would pay both teachers and students for success on Advance Placement exams.

January 26, 2010
By Amanda McGregor
STAFF WRITER

Peabody High implemented the program in September, despite opposition from the teachers union.

A representative from the program spoke to the Salem School Committee last night. The goal of the grant is to increase enrollment in mathematics, science and English AP courses, he said.

Morton Orlov, president of the Mass Math and Science Initiative, said the program is based on research, pushes middle-of-the-road students into AP courses, and increases college performance and graduation.

"The reality is that they will benefit from exposure to more rigorous coursework and instruction," he said.

Orlov said the grant would provide $100 to students who earn a qualifying score (3, 4 or 5) on AP exams in math, science and English, and as much as $5,600 for teachers, the largest amount awarded last year.

"The goal is not to drive teachers apart," said Orlov, "but to bring folks together to be successful."

Orlov said that compared to the state average, Salem High students have a low participation rate in AP courses relative to the school's size.
Orlov said the grant program is operating in 21 Massachusetts schools, and he aims to add 20 more this year.

He said the grant would channel approximately $100,000 annually to Salem High over three years to fund training for AP and pre-AP teachers, establish lead teachers, run student study sessions, and provide financial incentives for student and teacher performance.

School Committee member Nate Bryant asked Orlov why Salem was selected for the grant. Salem has already used the program's fee-based pre-AP training outside of the grant.

"First of all we connected to Salem through the pre-AP side of the house, so we were aware broadly of the interest," said Orlov. "To the south, I'm in Revere and Malden, and to north I'm in Peabody and Methuen ... so frankly, part of it was the fact you were just north of where I was and just south of where I was."

When asked by committee member Brendan Walsh if any communities have declined the grant, Orlov said that Leominster and Dartmouth both said "no" last year.

"It was almost exclusively around teacher awards," said Orlov. "I understand the nature of collective bargaining and the desire of many collective bargaining entities to have a say over any form of compensation, (but) there are many monetary awards teachers receive in many settings that are never grieved."

Following Orlov's presentation, the School Committee members adjourned to executive session to discuss the proposal, and later returned to open session.

"We are planning on having further dialogue with the ... union," Mayor Kim Driscoll, chairwoman of the School Committee, said after the closed session. "We look forward to further dialogue."