Bunker Hill CUSD #8 was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education for the Advanced Placement Course Implementation grant. The funding opportunity, announced in late 2018, provided $500,000 to 10 school districts awarded competitively to encourage school districts to implement or expand Advanced Placement (AP) programs.
Advanced Placement, or the AP program, is sponsored by the College Board and consists of college-level courses that are offered as part of the high school curriculum for students who are highly motivated. In Illinois, a large number of students in many urban and rural high schools do not have access to the rigorous coursework provided through the AP program. Geographic location, academic resources, or socio-economic status of students and their respective schools often play a significant role in determining whether these students will have an opportunity to enroll in an AP course.
The grant will provide Bunker Hill with the necessary fiscal resources to fund: 1) teacher training 2) administrator, principal and counselor training 3) AP vertical team training, and 4) implementation of an instructional support program for students in grades 6-12, including materials. As a result of the grant, Bunker Hill CUSD #8 hopes to offer AP courses in every subject area at BHHS beginning in the 2019-20 school year, thereby increasing the opportunities of students to compete with metropolitan and large suburban high schools. The grant is the latest in an effort to ensure each Bunker Hill student has access to educational opportunities ensuring success after high school in college and career work.