Top AP Science & Math Students Win Siemens Awards
The nation’s top achievers in Advanced Placement science and mathematics courses were recently recognized as winners of the 2010 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. The annual awards honor up to 100 of America’s top performers in Advanced Placement Program (AP) science and math courses with a $2,000 college scholarship to one male and one female student in each state.
This year, 98 high school students in 50 states — including 91 seniors, six juniors, and one sophomore — were recognized. Tina Chen (photo, right), a senior at State College Area High School in State College, Pa., and Rohit Agrawal (photo, below), a senior at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., were named the national winners. Each will receive a $5,000 college scholarship. The awards came just as the College Board, which administers them, released a report showing that more students were taking and succeeding on AP tests than a decade ago.
Established in 1998, the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement is a signature program of the Siemens Foundation. It recognizes students from each of the 50 states who have earned the greatest number of scores of 5 on exams in the following AP courses: Biology, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Environmental Science, Statistics, Physics C Mechanics, and Physics C Electricity and Magnetism.
Encouraging students to pursue academic careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a national priority. Students who take AP math and science courses major in STEM fields at significantly higher rates than other students, according to the study, “AP Students in College: An Analysis of Five-Year Academic Careers,” released by the College Board in 2007. Student participation in AP science and mathematics courses grew 9 percent to 1.8 million students from 2009 to 2010. “These students lead the nation in performance on AP math and science courses and we are proud to support them as they strive for excellence,” said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, President of the Siemens Foundation.
See the complete list of winners.
Filed under: K-12 Education News
Tags: Grades 9-12, Mathematics, Programs for Students, Scholarships and Fellowships, Science
