The expansion of the state’s Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) to the Greenville High School campus is moving forward.

State School Superintendent Joe Morton announced the Alabama Department of Education has received $528,992 in grant monies for the program.

In February, Greenville High School was named one of the high schools added to roster of 43 schools already participating in APIP — a program designed to significantly increase the number of low-income Alabama students taking math, science and English AP courses and earning qualifying scores on AP exams.

“This grant will help to reach out to low-income students and offer the chance to take advanced courses, preparing them to succeed in college and careers,” said Morton.

Butler County Schools Superintendent Darren Douthitt said GHS’s inclusion in the program was a real shot in the arm for the school.

“I hope to see the number of students taking AP courses at GHS not just double, but triple. We are primed, pumped and ready to take on this challenge,” Douthitt said.

Since its first implementation in 2008, APIP’s participating high schools have seen a 106 percent increase in passing scores on AP math, science and English exams, which is 16 times greater than the national average of 6.6 percent. The number of all students in Alabama taking AP classes has increased by more than 4,000 students since 2007.

As well as implementing the program in GHS and 13 other schools, the grant will also be used to fund a partnership with ACCESS Distance Learning to train more teachers to teach AP courses and AP math, science and English enrollments through virtual AP classes.

The Advanced Placement Incentive Program is part of A+ College Ready, which uses funds to provide students and teachers with the tools resources, and support needed to succeed through teaching and rigorous AP course work. Schools are selected through a competitive application process for participation in the program. The A+ College Ready Program is a division of A+ Partnership, which is funded by a number of corporations, foundations and individual donors across the state.