The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is pleased to announce the creation of the Arkansas Advanced Placement Computer Science A Incentive Program. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of qualifying scores (3, 4, or 5) on the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science (CS) A exam. This program will not apply to the College Board AP CS Principles exam or any other exam.

Under this program Arkansas students and schools may be eligible to receive a tiered monetary incentive/reward when the student receives one computer science flex credit for successfully completing an AP CS A course in an Arkansas public school and makes a qualifying score on the AP CS A exam taken between August 1, 2017, and May 30, 2018. The tiered rewards are as follows:

• For a qualifying score of 5 on the AP CS A exam, an Arkansas public school student can receive $1000.00, with the school receiving $250.00,
• For a qualifying score of 4 on the AP CS A exam, an Arkansas public school student can receive $750.00, with the school receiving $150.00, and
• For a qualifying score of 3 on the AP CS A exam, an Arkansas public school student can receive $250.00, with the school receiving $50.00.

Student scores will be verified by official College Board data shared with ADE during the summer of 2018. Payments to schools/students will be processed by September 30, 2018. Student reward payments will be sent to the school district for distribution.

Each student may only receive any of the above rewards once, and teachers may not receive multiple rewards for the same student.

Awards under this program will not be provided until the 2019 state fiscal year begins; therefore, an allocation cannot be provided at this time. ADE is anticipating an allocation of up to $150,000.00 for the first year of the incentive program. This incentive program may be canceled and/or incentive amounts are subject to change at the discretion of ADE, with or without advanced notice, and is subject to available funding and allowable appropriation of funds.