Massachusetts’ High School Class of 2008 Among the Nation’s Leaders in AP® Course Work and Exams — Predictors of Success in College

The College Board’s fifth annual “AP^® Report to the Nation,” released today, reports that 20.8 percent of Massachusetts’ public school students in the class of 2008 achieved an AP Exam score of 3 or higher (the score predictive of college success) during their high school years — a larger percentage than most other states in the nation and well above the national average of 15.2 percent.

College Board President Gaston Caperton said, “Massachusetts has had significant success, and I commend educators, administrators and policymakers for their commitment to providing rigorous course work and preparing Massachusetts students to succeed in them.” He added, “Yet, there is still work to be done in preparing underserved students to succeed in courses that help open college doors for them.”

The data in this year’s report demonstrate Massachusetts’ continued commitment to closing the equity gap that exists in most states across the country. More African American and Hispanic students in the state are participating in AP course work and exams, but these students remain underrepresented in AP and underrepresented among those students scoring 3 or higher.

“Competing successfully in the 21^st century global economy requires the same kind of dedication I see in these students and their educators, and I am very proud of their achievement,” said Gov. Deval Patrick. “We must, however, enlist that same level of commitment to support all of our students in reaching their full potential.”

Governor Patrick introduced his Education Action Agenda in 2008 and outlined the Commonwealth’s commitment to a more robust public education system that better meets the individual needs of students starting from the earliest years with sustained support through higher education. College preparation is a major focus of the agenda, as presented in the Readiness Project report, a 10-year strategic plan for education reform, which also highlights the importance of AP course work for all students.

During the past five years, public high schools in Massachusetts have increased the number of students gaining access to and being successful in AP:

18,365 students in Massachusetts’ public high school class of 2008 took at least one AP Exam during high school, compared to 17,060 in the class of 2007 and 13,061 in the class of 2003.

13,128 students in Massachusetts’ public high school class of 2008 scored 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam during high school, compared to 12,308 in the class of 2007 and 9,419 in the class of 2003.

Additionally, 11.6 percent of Massachusetts’ public high school students took at least one AP Exam in science[i] and 12.3 percent took one AP Exam in a math,[ii] compared to 8.3 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively, for the nation. Demonstrating a continuing commitment to expand rigorous math and science programs, Massachusetts was one of six states to be awarded a competitive grant in 2007 from the National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit organization that facilitates the enhancement of programs that demonstrate an impact on science and math education.

[i]The AP science programs comprise Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics B, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, and Physics C: Mechanics.

[ii]The AP math programs comprise Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science AB, and Statistics.