ATLANTA — Three Southern Regional Education Board states are among the top six states in the nation in high school student performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to a new College Board report.
Maryland, Virginia and Florida saw more than 20 percent of the class of 2007 graduate having earned an AP exam score of 3 or higher, which research shows is a predictor of college success.
SREB states already lead the nation in student participation in Advanced Placement programs, which enable high school students to earn college credit through advanced high school courses. The College Board’s AP Report to the Nation points to the increase in participation nationwide and shows the continued momentum of many SREB states in access to and achievement in these programs, especially for traditionally underserved groups of students.
Although gaps remain among groups of students nationwide, Florida has expanded participation and performance among black and Hispanic students, the report notes, and Mississippi has seen greater percentages of black students scoring a 3 or higher on AP exams in the past five years. Mississippi also is among the states that provide scholarships for teachers to receive AP teacher training at colleges and universities.
Many SREB states have experienced strong growth in AP participation in the past several years. In Arkansas, about one-third of the class of 2007 took at least one AP exam during high school — a dramatic increase from 8 percent in 2000.
SREB’s 2007 report SREB States Lead the Nation in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs looks at the growth in participation in each SREB state since 2000 and offers suggestions for states interested in strengthening their programs. It and other reports examining the importance of AP programs are available at www.sreb.org.
For more information on AP achievement in SREB states, contact SREB Communications.
SREB, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, advises state education leaders on ways to improve education. SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each is represented by its governor and four gubernatorial appointees.
