More Students Take and Pass AP Tests

article by Jillian Blacksmith-Reed | February 09, 2012

The recently released 8th annual “AP Report to the Nation” shows that the trend over the past ten years is that more graduating students are taking advanced placement (AP) tests and passing those subsequent tests. Nationally, 18.1 percent of students in the class of 2011 participated in AP tests and scored at least 3 or higher passing those tests.

The report ranked each state according to the percentage of high school graduates that passed their AP tests as well, with Maryland ranking first for the fourth year in a row.

“Rigorous high school programs prepare our students for success in both college and careers, and we have a proud history of encouraging our students to get involved in AP and other high-level academics,” said Interim State Superintendent of Schools Bernard J. Sadusky.

Additionally, 19 states exceeded the national average of 18.1 percent of students passing AP exams, with some states showing marked improvement over the past decade.

However, the same report also shows that many students are also forgoing AP classes, and that 12.1 percent of students are not passing the test, indicating a lack of preparation. While there are more people taking AP classes, and more people are passing the AP tests, the percentage of people passing the tests has dropped from 64 percent in 2011 to 59 percent.

“These data confirm the need to continue expansion of AP opportunities for prepared and motivated students, because hundreds of thousands of U.S. students have indeed been academically ready for the challenge of an AP course but lacked the opportunity, encouragement, or motivation to participate,” Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and College Readiness said in a press release.

For the first time, this report features analyses based on PSAT/NQMST performances that showed nearly a half million students with the potential to take AP courses opting not to take them.

This year’s report also paid special attention to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses, and to the amount of minority students participating in AP programs.

Math and science were both underrepresented, as students were more likely to participate in AP courses like history and English over STEM courses like calculus or chemistry. However, the report did note that the number of students participating in these programs has risen over the past decade. Because of this, the report makes a call for schools to foster more interest and increase recruitment in these subjects by establishing after-school programs and getting students energized and involved in these subjects.

Minority students were also underrepresented as students participating in AP courses, with African Americans as the most underrepresented students in classrooms. To remedy this, the report suggests that schools use tools, like AP Potential to identify minority students that would likely succeed in these classes and then meet with parents of those students to recruit them.

In spite of these concerns many are very excited by the success students are having in these advanced placement programs as they move on to college.

“The engaging, hands-on learning that takes place in AP courses requires students to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue — all skills that prepare students for college and beyond,” Packer said. “We encourage educators and parents to help all prepared students take an AP course in high school.”