NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- 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.
For more information about the 2016 AP Program Results: Class of
2016, please click here.
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. For further
information, visit collegeboard.org.
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SOURCE The College Board