Advanced Coursework Equity Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a federal grant program to help states and school districts expand access to advanced classes like AP, dual enrollment, 8th grade Algebra I, and gifted and talented programs for students who are currently underrepresented in them.
• Districts that get funding would have to move away from relying only on teacher or counselor recommendations, and instead use either open enrollment, where any student can sign up, or universal screening, where every student is tested and automatically placed if qualified.
• The bill cites data showing big gaps in advanced program access today, including that just 1 in 14 Black students and fewer than 1 in 10 Latino students take AP classes, compared to about 1 in 6 students overall.
• Congress would authorize $266 million per year for three years, from 2027 through 2029, split between state education agencies, local school districts, and nonprofit organizations serving rural or underserved students.
• Grant money must go toward at least two required activities such as training school staff, expanding enrollment capacity, tutoring underrepresented students, and setting up advisory councils of students and parents to help oversee the program.