Advanced Placement Strategies Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
752882595
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2011
Forms available
Form 990 2011
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5122912819
Rating confidence
Limited
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,064,897
Expenses
$3,795,255
Assets
$14,686,777
Liabilities
$367,143

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2011. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2011. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of AP Strategies, Inc. (APS) is to improve college readiness and encourage STEM studies for underserved Texas public high school students by increasing participation and performance in Advanced Placement (AP) math, science and English courses. Launched in August 2000, the APS model is a comprehensive approach to increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement through teacher training, student support, performance based incentives, and committed program management. The APS model dramatically increases the number of students taking and passing AP math, science, and English exams, and expands access to traditionally under-represented student populations. Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of The College Board. APS targets rural and urban school districts with an 80%-95% minority population and an 80%-95% Free/Reduced lunch population with administrators and teachers receptive to support and training. APS is a national model. In 2008, the newly formed National Math and

What it reported doing in 2011

Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc. works with Texas schools and the private sector to manage Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP incentive programs for students, teachers, and schools.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: Limited
  • Program expense ratio: Limited
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 37.4%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.87; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -59.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $130K · 9 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2010 to 2011
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.