MD and VA Score High on Advanced Placement Exams

Maryland and Virginia claimed two of the top three spots in performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams administered to last year's graduating seniors, according to the College Board’s 6th annual AP Report to the Nation. Of the approximately 3 million students who graduated from public schools in 2009, more than 479,000 or 15.9 percent earned a passing score (3 or better out of 5) on one or more AP exams during the time they were in high school.

For the second year running, Maryland had the nation’s highest percentage (24.8) of seniors scoring a passing mark on at least one AP exam. Virginia placed third at 23 percent, slightly behind New York.

Montgomery and Fairfax Counties Lead the Way
Virginia and Maryland were also among the seven states with the highest five-year gains, carried largely on the strength of the performance of Fairfax and Montgomery counties. Montgomery County students accounted for about 40 percent of Maryland’s passing scores, and in Fairfax, students earned passing scores on nearly 71 percent of the 30,000 tests administered in the district—up from 66 percent in 2006. Additionally both states saw more than 20 percent of their public school students graduate from high school having earned at least one AP score of 3 or higher.

The report also cites Eleanor Roosevelt High School, in Prince George’s County, for being among those schools with the most African American and Latino students experiencing success with the AP. Roosevelt claimed top honors for performance in the AP Biology, Chemistry, and English Language programs.

AP US History Tops the List of Most Popular Tests
According to the College Board, the average high school now offers ten AP courses—up from seven five years ago. AP US History, English Literature, English Language, Calculus AB, and US Government were the five most frequently-administered tests across the country. Locally, US History, English Literature, and English Language appeared among the top five most popular exams for Maryland, Virginia, and DC.

Maryland		Virginia		DC
AP Exam	Pass	AP Exam	Pass	AP Exam	Pass
English Language	62%	US Government	59%	English Language	18%
English Literature	57%	US History	53%	English Literature	18%
Psychology	63%	English Literature	62%	US History	22%
World History	59%	English Language	63%	US Government	30%
US History	50%	Psychology	70%	Calculus AB	29%
US Government	62%	Calculus AB	57%	Biology	20%
Calculus AB	63%	World History	70%	Statistics	34%
Statistics	61%	Biology	47%	World History	11%
Biology	50%	Statistics	52%	Human Geography	44%
Environmental	51%	Environmental	45%	Spanish	70%

Failure Rate Grows as AP Test-Takers Increase
While school districts rush to upgrade and increase AP course offerings, controversy surrounds increasing rates of failure and the value of pushing students to take college-level courses beyond their readiness to succeed. Originally limited to top students at competitive high schools, the AP program has evolved into a measure of high school excellence and now plays a much greater role in college admissions.

Although the majority of students taking AP exams continue to pass, the rate of failure has begun to creep up as more high school students take the tests--from 39 percent in 2001 to 43 percent in 2009. According to reports generated by USA Today, the failure rate is particularly striking in the southern states where almost 50 percent of the AP exams taken resulted in scores of 1 or 2. A study conducted by the Dallas Morning News suggests that poverty as well as teacher preparation may play significant roles in the failure of students to succeed in these programs.