Aimee Washam is in her first year as the coordinator for the A+ Program at Aurora High School.
The program has been in existence at the school for 16 years. Gene Neyer served as the coordinator until his retirement at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
Students in the program who complete the requirements receive state-paid tuition reimbursement to attend a public community college or vocational/technical school in Missouri.
“Generally, 50 precent of the students are enrolled in the A+ Program at AHS,” said Washam. “My goals include growing the number of A+ qualifiers and getting the word out about this beneficial program.”
“Most people think you have to be a straight-A student to qualify, but you don’t. All students should strive to be in the A+ Program. Over 50 percent of all jobs require some form of post-secondary education. The program lends many opportunities that a student may not otherwise have. It will give them an advantage when they are job searching. This is especially important in the current economic conditions,” she said.
History
The A+ Program was created in 1993 by state law as an incentive for improving Missouri’s high schools. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that all students who graduate from Missouri public high schools are well prepared to pursue advanced education and/or employment.
Requirements of the program include:
• entering into a written agreement with the high school prior to graduation
• attending a designated school for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation
• graduating with an overall grade point average of 2.5 points or higher on a four-point scale
• having an overall attendance rate of at least 95 percent for grades 9-12
• performing 50 hours of district-supervised, unpaid tutoring or mentoring
• maintaining a record of good citizenship and avoiding the use of drugs and alcohol
A total of 274 of the state’s 570 public high schools participate in the progam. The number of participating schools has nearly doubled since the 2000-01 school year, according to information from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
DESE officials projected the number of A+ designated schools will reach 315 in the 2009-10 school year.
If an Aurora High School students or parents would like to learn more, they may contact Washam at 678-3355 or awasham@hdnet.k12.mo.us.
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Aimee Washam is in her first year as the coordinator for the A+ Program at Aurora High School.
The program has been in existence at the school for 16 years. Gene Neyer served as the coordinator until his retirement at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
Students in the program who complete the requirements receive state-paid tuition reimbursement to attend a public community college or vocational/technical school in Missouri.
“Generally, 50 precent of the students are enrolled in the A+ Program at AHS,” said Washam. “My goals include growing the number of A+ qualifiers and getting the word out about this beneficial program.”
“Most people think you have to be a straight-A student to qualify, but you don’t. All students should strive to be in the A+ Program. Over 50 percent of all jobs require some form of post-secondary education. The program lends many opportunities that a student may not otherwise have. It will give them an advantage when they are job searching. This is especially important in the current economic conditions,” she said.
History
The A+ Program was created in 1993 by state law as an incentive for improving Missouri’s high schools. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that all students who graduate from Missouri public high schools are well prepared to pursue advanced education and/or employment.
Requirements of the program include:
• entering into a written agreement with the high school prior to graduation
• attending a designated school for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation
• graduating with an overall grade point average of 2.5 points or higher on a four-point scale
• having an overall attendance rate of at least 95 percent for grades 9-12
• performing 50 hours of district-supervised, unpaid tutoring or mentoring
• maintaining a record of good citizenship and avoiding the use of drugs and alcohol
A total of 274 of the state’s 570 public high schools participate in the progam. The number of participating schools has nearly doubled since the 2000-01 school year, according to information from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
DESE officials projected the number of A+ designated schools will reach 315 in the 2009-10 school year.
If an Aurora High School students or parents would like to learn more, they may contact Washam at 678-3355 or awasham@hdnet.k12.mo.us.
