In its sixth annual AP Report to the Nation, the College Board, the not-for-profit membership association that owns and administers the AP Program, highlights the successes educators have achieved in helping students from a wide variety of backgrounds gain access to and be successful in college-level AP course work. As the report documents, of the estimated 3 million students who graduated from U.S. public schools in 2009, more than 479,000 (15.9 percent) earned an AP Exam score of at least a 3 on one or more AP Exams during their high school tenure. This is up from 15.2 percent in 2008 and 12.7 percent in 2004.
Out of all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Maryland led the nation for the second straight year with the highest percentage (24.8) of public school students scoring at least a 3 on an AP Exam. Florida attained the largest single-year increase in the percentage of high school graduates who scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, while Virginia achieved the largest five-year gain.
The report also highlights the seven states with the highest five-year gains: Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Maine, Colorado, Vermont and Florida. (See "States with the Greatest Expansion of AP Scores of 3 or Higher Since 2004" on page 6 of the national report.) Additionally, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut, California and Colorado all saw more than 20 percent of their public school students graduate from high school having earned an AP Exam score of 3 or higher. AP achievements for each state's class of 2009, class of 2008 and class of 2004 are detailed in the report. (See The 6th Annual AP Report to the Nation, Table 1, page 5, and Appendix A.)
"It should be noted that initiatives that provide instruction as early as middle school are helping students build skills and confidence," Caperton said. "These initiatives are preparing students for strong academic careers that culminate in college success and open doors to a lifetime of opportunity."
The report notes that an equity and excellence gap appears when traditionally underserved students — such as African American, Latino or American Indian students — constitute a smaller percentage of the group of students experiencing success in AP than the percentage these students represent in the overall graduating class. Although the gap has been closed in some places, inequity in preparation and access continues to exist in many states across the country. This means that despite strides that have been made by educators to provide traditionally underrepresented students with access to AP courses, more work remains.
Sixteen states have successfully closed the equity and excellence gap for Hispanic or Latino students, and as of 2009, two states — Hawaii and Montana — have eliminated the gap for black or African American students. While 18 states have closed the gap for American Indian or Alaska Native students, no state with a substantial student population in this demographic has eliminated the gap.
Additionally, 15 schools lead the nation in the number of African American and/or Latino students succeeding in particular AP subjects, and the report celebrates the example these schools are setting in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan and Texas. (See "Schools with the Largest Numbers of African American and Latino Students Experiencing Success in AP," page 12, and the corresponding Table 3, page 13, for details.)
The report also highlights that more low-income students are participating and experiencing success in AP than ever before. In the 2009 graduating class, 18.9 percent of AP examinees were low-income students, up from 17.0 percent in the class of 2008 and 13.7 percent in the class of 2004. Additionally, low-income students made up 14.7 percent of the students experiencing success in AP from the graduating class of 2009, compared to 13.4 percent from the class of 2008 and 11.7 percent from the class of 2004.
In addition to national initiatives such as the National Governors Association's Advanced Placement Expansion Project, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the National Math and Science Initiative, the College Board has a College Readiness System™ that integrates programs, services and professional development for educators. It is designed to help schools and districts create a culture focused on student success; implement rigorous, high-quality curricula; effectively assess student learning to inform instruction; and help teachers differentiate instruction to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population.
Among these programs and services are SpringBoard®, an English language arts and mathematics curriculum for grades six through 12; CollegeEd®, a college and career planning curriculum for students in grades seven through 12; the PSAT/NMSQT®, a rigorous national assessment that measures skills that are important for success in college; AP Potential™, a tool that identifies potential AP students; and the College Board Standards for College Success™, freely available content standards for middle school and high school English language arts, mathematics and statistics, and science that will prepare all students for AP or college-level work.
About the Advanced Placement Program®
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Through more than 30 college-level courses, each culminating in a rigorous exam, AP provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both. Taking AP courses also demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought out the most rigorous curriculum available to them. Each AP teacher's syllabus is evaluated and approved by college faculty from some of the nation's leading institutions, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. AP is accepted by more than 3,600 colleges and universities worldwide for college credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores. This includes over 90 percent of four-year institutions in the United States. In 2009, students representing more than 17,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took AP Exams.
The College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid and enrollment. Among its widely recognized programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®), SpringBoard® and ACCUPLACER®. The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns.
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