Release Date: Feb 8, 2012 8:00 AM  

Delaware saw some growth in the number of public high school students taking – and succeeding at – Advanced Placement exams, according to the College Board’s 8th Annual AP Report to the Nation released today. In 2011, 2,191 Delaware public high school students took at least one AP exam, about a 2 percent increase from 2010. Delaware’s 2011 participation rate is 28.9 percent, compared to 30.2 percent for the nation.

The AP program includes college-level courses and exams by which students can earn college credit and advanced placement at institutes of higher education.

About 15.5 percent of the Delaware public school class of 2011 earned a 3 or higher on one or more AP exams during high school, compared to 18.1 percent nationally. The exams are on a 5-point scale with many colleges accepting 3 or higher for credit or advanced placement. Social science had the greatest number of students achieving a 3 or higher in Delaware. The Delaware class of 2010 rate was 15.4 percent.

“Our focus is on making sure students graduate college- and career- ready. Students taking and passing AP exams demonstrate that they are not only ready for the challenge, they’re capable of succeeding at college-level work,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “With great teachers and challenging curricula in these rigorous classes, we will keep working to ensure students have these opportunities to shine.”

The number of Delaware seniors leaving high school who have taken at least one AP exam has grown from 877 students in 2001 to 2,191 in 2011. Delaware’s Education Plan, supported by the state’s top-ranked federal Race to the Top grant, includes increasing supports to expand AP participation and performance, ranging from summer AP teacher institutes to train teachers on effective instruction of AP classes to middle school prep programs to better support students early so they are ready for the college-level courses in high school.

“We know that not only do we need to expand the number of Advanced Placement classes offered over the next few years but ensure our teachers and students are prepared for them,” Secretary of Education Dr. Lillian M. Lowery said.

Also of note, the Appoquinimink School District is on the AP Honor Roll for 2012 - one of only 376 districts in the nation and the only school system (public or private) in Delaware to earn this distinction. The award recognizes Appoquinimink's success at opening AP classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students while improving the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher over the past three years.

The award acknowledges progress made by both Appoquinimink High and Middletown High, where the two schools are proud to offer a wide selection of AP courses, including: Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics B, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, U.S. History, U.S. Politics and Government, World History. (These are the AP courses that are available at both schools. There are some additional offerings available, but they're not "common" to both schools.).

More details from the Delaware report:

Year	# Graduates Leaving H.S. having taken an AP Exam	Low Income	Black/African American	Hispanic/Latino
2001	877	N/A	61	20
2006	1,890	170	209	72
2010	2,149	343	287	108
2011	2,191	406	284	139

Year	# Graduates Scoring 3+ on Exam at any point in H.S.	Low Income	Black/African American	Hispanic/Latino
2001	536	N/A	30	11
2006	1,017	67	63	42
2010	1,180	131	104	56
2011	1,172	162	91	73

For more information, visit www.collegeboard.org.

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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.	Contact Info. Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us
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