AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Michael Williams announced today that the number of Texas graduates taking at least one Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Exam during high school continued to grow, according to the Class of 2014 figures from the College Board.

Number/Percentage of Graduates

Who Took an AP Exam During High School

The College Board’s AP cohort data for the Class of 2014 also showed that Texas is the only state that achieved equitable participation for low-income students. Equitable participation is defined as the percentage of K-12 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (51.1 percent) in the state equaling the number of AP exam takers (51.0 percent). And while no state achieved equitable success (percentage of AP exam takers scoring a three or higher during high school), Texas students came the closest.

“As our state’s demographics have changed, our high expectations for every student in our public schools have not,” said Commissioner Williams. “The growing number of students tackling AP courses in all parts of our state is evidence to a commitment to that commitment.”

Just over twenty percent of Texas students (20.3 percent) in the Class of 2014 scored 3 or higher on an AP exam during high school, which was slightly below the national average (21.6 percent). The five most popular AP exams for the Texas Class of 2014 were English Language and Composition; United States History; World History; English Literature and Composition; and United State Government and Politics.

Research shows that students who succeed in rigorous course work, such as that offered by AP, are developing college-level knowledge and skills while still in high school. These students are more likely than their peers to earn college degrees on time, which gives them an opportunity to save significant amounts of money.

 http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/News_and_Multimedia/Press_Releases/2015/Number_of_Texas_students_taking_Advanced_Placement_grows/