East Orange STEM Academy's AP Physics Boom.pdf

East Orange Campus 9 High School transformed into East Orange STEM Academy in 2011 to promote STEM education and careers.
- Achievement: The school has seen a significant increase in AP physics enrollment, with 37 students currently taking the course out of approximately 270 students, placing it among the top 10 schools in the state.
- Key Factor: The Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) developed by the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), which uses free digital materials instead of textbooks and shifts the science instruction sequence to physics-chemistry-biology.
- Teacher Development: Bayer HealthCare funded the physics endorsement program, enabling two STEM teachers to become certified in AP physics and train others.
- Future Plans: East Orange STEM Academy aims to have students take four AP science courses by graduation, enhancing their college readiness and competitiveness.
- CTL's Role: Founded by the New Jersey Education Association in 2006, CTL creates free, open-source materials for teaching K-12 mathematics and high school science, working with districts in New Jersey, Colorado, and Rhode Island.