Tennessee Shows Growth in Advanced Placement Participation

NASHVILLE – Tennessee is showing great gains in Advanced Placement participation among African American and Hispanic students, according to a report released by The College Board today. The study shows an almost nine percent increase in the number of African American students taking a least one Advanced Placement exam and a 35 percent increase for Hispanic students in the same category.

“Taking AP classes exposes students to greater challenges and is a good indicator of how ready they are to tackle the higher-level skills needed for college coursework and the workplace,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. “These numbers are encouraging. We want more students to take this opportunity to be better prepared for life after high school.”

In an effort to increase rigor across all student groups, the state is implementing the Tennessee Diploma Project which increases graduation requirements and raises academic standards. The new math, science and English standards reflect national expectations by organizations such as National Assessment of Education Progress and The College Board. Through the TDP, all students will be better prepared for college and the workforce.

Overall student participation increased by nearly seven percent since 2007 and the number of students earning a score of 3 or higher on their exams increased nearly nine percent. In the class of 2008, 8,513 students from public high schools took at least one AP exam, up from 7,976 in 2007. In 2008, 4,772 students earned a 3 or higher on their exams, up from 4,347 in 2007.

With the implementation of the TDP next fall, students will be required to complete a college and work-ready curriculum that better equips students for post-secondary opportunities in the 21st century.

“Advanced Placement courses will continue to play a role in getting students on the right track to graduation under the new standards and curriculum next school year,” Commissioner Webb said.

For the full report, please visit http://www.collegeboard.com/html/aprtn/index.html.

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us. 
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