This post was written by Hatchet reporter Katherine Willard.

A public policy professor earned a $2.6 million grant this week to help lead a research team that will test the success of Advanced Placement high school science courses.

Dylan Conger, director of GW’s public policy program, will undertake a four-year study funded by the National Science Foundation to determine the effectiveness of courses designed to prepare college-ready scientists.

College Board, which administers the AP tests, recently revised its chemistry and biology offerings to test deeper knowledge of topics. This is the first study of inquiry-based science learning.

“[College Board is] very eager to get information that gives them rigorous evidence on their courses and what needs to be done to make them better, if anything,” said Conger, who will work alongside researchers from University of Washington and the nonprofit SRI International.

The study will include more than 4,000 students in 40 high schools. It will not only track the students’ progress in the AP class, but see if the class affects the students’ college and career performances.

Tracking the success of AP sciences courses is critical to understanding U.S. students’ progress in technical learning, Conger said. Education leaders and policymakers have stressed the need for schools to bolster its science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching to help the country compete globally.

“U.S. students and workers tend to be less competitive in these skills,” Conger saide. “This gap has triggered widespread policy investments and how to promote and increase our student’s scientific and STEM reasoning abilities.”