More Diverse Group of US Students Succeeding on AP® Exams

Feb. 2010

Programs and Services

With almost 16 percent of the public high school class of 2009 receiving at least one AP® Exam score of 3 or higher — the score that is predictive of college success — more students than ever before are participating in rigorous course work and succeeding. Additionally, this class stands out as having the most diverse student participation in AP history.

The 6th Annual AP Report to the Nation 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.

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 of public school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam. Florida attained the largest single-year increase in the percentage of public school graduates who scored a 3 or higher during high school, and Virginia achieved the largest five-year gain.

Additionally, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut, California and Colorado all saw more than 20 percent of their public school seniors complete high school with at least one successful AP experience.

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 greater access to AP courses, more work remains.

For the class of 2009, 16 states have successfully closed the equity and excellence gap for Hispanic or Latino students, and 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. Follow the links to read profiles of five of these schools: Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt, Md.), Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School (Flossmoor, Ill.), Miami Coral Park Senior High School (Miami, Fla.), School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center (Dallas, Texas) and Calexico High School (Calexico, Calif.).

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.

For more information, visit the report online, where you can also access individual state reports.