In Iowa, geography does not determine opportunity.
The Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy (IOAPA) provides Advanced Placement (AP) courses to every high school in Iowa with a focus on small/rural schools ranging from Denison to Danville. AP courses are college-level and nationally recognized for their rigor and as indicators of college readiness. High scores on the national AP exams in various academic areas can provide a high school student with college credit.
IOAPA is part of the University of Iowa College of Education's Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.
IOAPA is completely online and gives every Iowa student the opportunity to take AP courses and exams regardless of the size of school or community. IOAPA is currently funded by the Iowa Legislature and underwrites the cost for the student. Since the start of IOAPA in 2001, more than 10,000 students from communities across the state have taken AP courses. The course completion rate has been over 90 percent, which is remarkable for online courses. Also, Iowa students taking courses through IOAPA have consistently scored above the national average on AP exams. The message is simple: Give Iowa students a chance at a high-level academic challenge, and they will not only step up to the challenge, but will perform at a high level.
QUOTE/UNQUOTE
Zane Scott-Tunkin, a teacher and mentor at Colfax-Mingo High School: "The IOAPA is a great resource for schools that do not offer an on-site AP Program."
DID YOU KNOW?
IOAPA was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the nation's top six programs to feature in its report, "Connecting Students to Advanced Courses Online: Innovations in Education" (2006). To find out more about IOAPA, visit http://www.
