Students who take advanced placement courses are often able to save money because they can earn college credits while still in high school, and students who perform well on these tests often finish college within four years. An extra year or two of college can cost tens of thousands of dollars, thus making it impossible for low-income students to attain a college degree.
In addition to potentially reducing costs, AP courses also create a sense of readiness and confidence in ability to perform. The report shows an overall upward trend across the nation in terms of AP participation and academic success.
The College Board encouraged states to fund efforts such as teacher workshops in how to prepare students for AP exams, as well as training on how to integrate Advanced Placement curriculums into the classroom.
The federal government backs the AP Incentive Program, which specifically targets schools serving low-income students. State policies should establish curriculums in middle school to prepare students to succeed in high school AP courses, Packer said.
“If we look across the states where we’re seeing steady and consistent expansion of success on AP exams, there are some common factors in each of these states,” Packer said. “There is a commitment at the state level by policy makers to insist that AP is part of their secondary school agenda.”
On the Web: “AP Report to the Nation” is available at www.collegeboard.com.
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