College Board releases data on Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) shares data released by College Board on the participation and performance of the graduating class of 2016 on Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams.

According to ISBE, highlights from the College Board data for Illinois’ graduating class of 2016 include:

• Illinois ranks 10th among all states in the U.S. for the percentage of the statewide graduating class of 2016 scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam during high school.
• The percentage of graduates who took an AP exam during high school has increased from 20.2 percent of the graduating class of 2006 to 37.5 percent of the graduating class of 2016.
• As the number of students taking AP tests has grown, so has the number of students excelling on AP tests. Illinois ranks 4th in the nation for the growth in the percentage of graduates earning a 3 or higher on an AP exam during high school. At District 88, more than 560 students earned a score of 3, 4 or 5 on an AP exam in 2016.

Illinois leads the nation in efforts to eliminate gaps for low-income students and students of color in the most rigorous high school courses. During its December 2016 meeting, ISBE approved an agreement with College Board to maintain the cost of taking AP tests at $15 an exam for low-income students, compared to the normal test fee of $93 (for the May 2017 test administration).

Illinois also became the first state in the nation to partner with the Lead Higher Initiative (http://tinyurl.com/jdg9ab9), committing to a statewide challenge to close equity gaps for low-income students and students of color in AP, International Baccalaureate and dual-credit courses.

For more information, go to http://tinyurl.com/zqwyc3r.