John W. Buckner Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses

The PWR of Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses

Traditionally, disadvantaged minorities and low-income students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who perform well in school do not enroll in advanced classes at the same rate as their peers, regardless of preparedness. All students deserve the opportunity to learn higher-level content and students who have access to a rigorous curriculum perform better across multiple measures, including graduating high school and completing higher education.

The John W. Buckner Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses Grant Program, Senate Bill 19-059, is intended to increase the number of students enrolled in advanced courses for subjects in which the student has demonstrated proficiency.

Background and Requirements

The John W. Buckner Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses Grant Program is established in the Department of Education to provide funding for local education providers that automatically enroll certain students in advanced courses. The Program took effect in the 2019-20 school year and has been continued into the 2024-25 school year.

In order to be eligible for the grant program, a local education provider must automatically enroll students who are in 9th grade or higher in an advanced course in a subject related to one in which the student demonstrated proficiency on the prior year's statewide assessment, or in an advanced course based on any other measure, applied to all enrolled students, that demonstrates the student's ability to succeed in the advanced course.