NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017:(WN)-Research shows
states and districts are expanding Advanced Placement access and success for
public high school students, including efforts to secure funding for low-income
students via new funding sources.
The AP Program Results: Class of 2016
released today shows an increase in both the participation and passing rates
for the high school graduating class of 2016. The data show the number of
public high school students taking at least one AP Exam has almost doubled in
10 years from 645,000 for the class of 2006 to 1.1 million students in the
class of 2016. Since 2006, the percentage of U.S. students taking AP classes
and then earning a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam has grown by
7.6 points from 14.3% to 21.9% of public high school graduates.
"There is a widespread belief in
education that it is impossible to expand access while maintaining high
performance. The AP Program tells a different story," said David Coleman,
president and CEO of the College Board. "Across the country AP
participation rates are rising, as are passing rates for AP Exams. State and
district leaders who have acted decisively to increase AP access are seeing
those efforts pay off for students."
State legislators are also making it easier
for students to earn college credit by implementing statewide AP credit
policies. So far, 22 states, encompassing more than 60% of the U.S. population,
currently apply statewide AP credit policies, so students and families have a
guarantee that the state's public colleges and universities will award college
credit for qualifying AP Exam scores.
An independent researcher from the American
Enterprise Institute, Nat Malkus, has called the rise in AP participation and
performance "the rarest kind of success in public education." His
data show that in 2012, about 90% of all students attended a school that
offered at least one AP course, and that rate was similar for black, Hispanic,
Asian, and white students.
Students who have the opportunity to take
part in challenging AP courses develop skills they'll need for college and
potentially save money and time by earning college credit. Research shows
students who succeed on AP Exams are more likely to earn higher GPAs in college,
take more classes in their discipline, and graduate college on time.
For the first time, Massachusetts led the
nation in AP results, achieving the highest percentage of public high school
graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam in 2016. After leading the nation
every year since 2009, Maryland this year had the second highest percentage of
public high school graduates that scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
And Nevada had both the largest three-year
increase and a one-year increase in the percentage of public high school
graduates scoring 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
Top 10
States with the Highest Percentage of 2016 Public High School Graduates
Succeeding on AP Exams:
Massachusetts : 31.0
Maryland : 30.4
Connecticut : 30.1
Florida : 29.5
California : 28.5
Virginia : 28.3
New York : 27.3
Colorado : 26.9
New Jersey : 26.5
Illinois : 25.1
Reaching All Students with AP Computer
Science Principles
The College Board launched a new course in
the fall of 2016, AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP), with the goal of
creating leaders in computer science and giving those who are traditionally
underrepresented in the computer science field tools and opportunities to
pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).
As of the 2016–2017 school year, AP CSP is
offered in more than 2,500 schools, making this the largest AP course launch
ever. Many states and districts are taking the lead in making computer science
a priority for their high school students. At the end of last year, Nevada
Governor Brian Sandoval announced that every school district in his state will
offer AP Computer Science Principles beginning in the 2017–2018 school year.
Data show that many students who are likely
to do well on an AP Exam in computer science or other STEM subject don't go on
to take the exam in high school. For example, out of all students in the class
of 2016 whose scores on the PSAT/NMSQT showed they would likely do well on the
AP Computer Science A Exam, less than 9% took the exam. Among the rural
students and female students in that group, less than 5% took the exam. AP CSP
was built to appeal to students who have the potential to succeed in a college-level
computer science class but who might not believe that computer science or STEM
courses in general are for them.
For rural students, especially, AP CSP offers
a way to get familiar with the foundational concepts of computer science. AP
CSP classes can be led by teachers from a variety of backgrounds, which allows
more rural schools to offer the course.
"In all 50 states, the number of job
openings that require computing skills far exceeds the number of qualified
graduates," said Trevor Packer, the College Board senior vice president
responsible for the AP Program "We believe all students deserve to attend
a high school that provides coursework like AP Computer Science Principles, a
class designed to prepare students for the incredible career opportunities of
our century."
***What's
the Future of AP Exams Funding?***
Since 1998, the federal government has joined
the College Board in reducing the cost of AP Exams for low-income students. In
1999, over 45,000 low-income students used a combination of federal funding and
College Board fee reductions to eliminate or greatly reduce the AP Exam fee; in
2016, more than 450,000 did. The College Board offers eligible low-income
students a $31 fee reduction per exam.
Due to a change in the Every Student Succeeds
Act (ESSA), states and districts can't access funds through the AP Test Fee
Program because funding is no longer earmarked exclusively for AP Exam fees.
States and districts need to proactively dedicate funding under ESSA Title IV
and Title I, or under their own education budgets, to cover the exam fees and
provide AP courses not currently offered.
Several states have already responded to the
federal funding changes. In November 2016, the Texas Education Agency announced
that in addition to the $30 state subsidy it provides for funding each AP Exam
taken by low-income students, it will use its ESSA Title IV-A federal funds to
maintain fee assistance for over 200,000 students. The Texas Education Agency
is currently working with districts and state charter schools to create a
cost-sharing strategy for future funding of AP Exams taken by low-income
students.
Declaring that "all students should have
equal access to the benefit of Advanced Placement," Kentucky Commissioner
of Education Stephen L. Pruitt announced in December 2016 that his department
would use state funds to cover the loss of dedicated federal funding for
low-income students' AP Exams. The Kentucky Department of Education stated it
was making this commitment so that "schools will continue to provide
Kentucky's [low-income] students with the opportunity to take rigorous AP
courses that prepare them to excel in their future college and career
choices."
"There are more than 500,000 low-income
students sitting in AP classes now who are affected by the federal funding
changes," said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and Instruction.
"These students have embraced the challenge of advanced coursework, doing
the extra work AP classes require, so we urge states and districts to partner with
the College Board to subsidize the fees for these students, ensuring access to
the college credit these low-income students have been working so hard to
secure for themselves."
More than ever, low-income students are
participating and experiencing success in AP, making the funding of AP Exams
under ESSA grant programs an essential part of creating equal access for all
students going forward.
***About the
College Board***
The College Board is a mission-driven
not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and
opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to
higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of
the world's leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting
excellence and equity in education.
Each year, the College Board helps more
than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college
through programs and services in college readiness and college
success including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The
organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy
on behalf of students, educators, and schools.
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