Courses and Learning Experiences

MassCore. CCTE provides support and resources for schools to adopt a course taking strategy that ensures students graduate with the requirements to pursue a four-year degree at a Massachusetts public postsecondary institution.

Advanced Coursework. Advanced Coursework is a critical part of preparing students for post-graduation readiness. By including a measure of advanced coursework completion, the accountability system can incentivize student participation in these types of courses. Massachusetts includes completion of advanced coursework as one of its accountability indicators. This indicator measures the percentage of all students enrolled in 11^th and 12^th grade that complete at least one advanced course, including but not limited to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Project Lead the Way (PLTW), dual enrollment for credit, Chapter 74-approved vocational/technical secondary cooperative education programs and articulation agreement courses, and other DESE-selected rigorous courses. Eligible courses extend beyond traditional AP courses and do not necessitate student participation in AP tests. This indicator is included in the accountability results for any district, school, or subgroup with at least 20 students enrolled in grades 11 and 12. Information on courses considered "advanced" for the purposes of accountability reporting are available here.

Advanced Placement. Through the College Board's Advanced Placement courses, students can take end of course exams in one of 39 courses that may be offered by their high school.

• An announcement regarding the availability of funding for FY25 (SY24-25) Advanced Placement test subsidies will be shared by September 2024.

STEM Advanced Placement (AP) Access Expansion Opportunity
In September 2020 DESE was awarded a five-year grant totaling $9,127,691 from the U.S. Education Department (ED), through the Expanding Access to Well-Rounded Courses Demonstration Grants Program. With this funding, and via a partnership with VHS Learning, we are establishing the STEM Advanced Placement Access Expansion Opportunity (SAPAO). SAPAO is a statewide initiative to increase the capacity of schools to offer advanced coursework that will equip students with the skills and competencies they need to pursue postsecondary education and, ultimately, go on to STEM professions vital to the Massachusetts economy.

At the heart of this project is a commitment to generate greater equity in STEM AP course-taking, which DESE prioritized by narrowing participation to schools with above average rates of Black, Latino, and/or Economically Disadvantaged student enrollment. Through the grant, DESE also intends to serve schools in which low numbers of students engage in STEM AP courses despite demonstrating the skills to participate in this advanced coursework. The highest priority schools are those DESE envisions using the statewide virtual platform to drive their long-term strategy to increase capacity to offer STEM AP courses. For more information, please contact Jennifer Gwatkin .

Last Updated: August 29, 2024