Madison-Oneida BOCES to develop online AP courses

ONEIDA — The Madison-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) won a $1.35 million grant to develop online advanced placement courses.

The grant came through the state’s Virtual Advanced Placement Program (VAP), which works to improve access to online and blended advanced placement (AP) courses for low-income students. Madison-Oneida BOCES is one of 17 recipients total, and one of only eight BOCES statewide, to receive a VAP award.

“This grant is going to help open doors for many students who might not have access to AP and college-level courses simply because of geography,” Madison-Oneida BOCES District Superintendent Jacklin Starks said in a news release. “Through technology and innovative thinking, we’ll be able to help more students from our region leave high school ‘college and career ready.’ ”

The 18-month grant will allow BOCES to work with teachers from component school districts to develop online AP courses in English literature and composition, U.S. history, and calculus AB. The courses will be implemented and taught through a blended format that combines online and face-to-face instruction during the 2013-2014 school year.

 BOCES expects to serve about 300 students through those courses.

The grant will also fund the purchase of tablet computers to facilitate Internet and computer access and promote online communication with college students, who will serve as mentors to the high school students.

Madison-Oneida BOCES provides educationally focused programs and services in the Camden, Canastota, Hamilton, Madison, Morrisville-Eaton, Oneida, Rome, Stockbridge Valley, and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill school districts and the New York State School for the Deaf.

Contact DeLore at tdelore@tmvbj.com