The Growth and Change of
Advanced Placement
MOACAC – April 11, 2011
Name, Regional Office
Introduction and Agenda
 Marc Geslani, Educational Manager, Midwest Region
– Financial Aid Leveraging consulting
– Admission and Enrollment Management at Loyola University Chicago,
Elmhurst College, Saint Louis University and Illinois Institute of
Technology
 Agenda
–
–
–
–
AP’s Change and Growth Over the Last Decade
Field Research: College Admission Officers
AP’s Benefits to Students
AP Today and Tomorrow
The Growth and Change of AP
Over the Last Decade
AP Growth 2006-2010
AP Growth: No. of Schools
+11.6%
Source: The College Board SDRS
* Represents growth from 2006-2010
AP Growth: Students and Exams
+37.8% Students*
+38.9% Exams*
AP Growth 2001-2010
Source: AP Report to the Nation 2011
AP Has Increasingly Served More
Underrepresented Minority and LowIncome Students Over the Course of the
Past Decade
2010
2000
19%
8%
underrepresented
minority
low-income
25%
underrepresented
minority
22%
low-income
Why Has It Changed?
 AP was born in the 1950’s among elite Northeastern prep schools and
Ivy League universities
 As the program was adopted across the nation, a culture of
“gatekeeping” grew around the program
 The College Board’s mission has always emphasized college access and
success for all students
 Could the College Board resolve the culture of AP and it’s current
mission?
 Can AP play a role in educational reform?
–
Raise educational rigor
–
Develop AND implement curricular change
–
Provide meaningful and useful professional development for teachers
AP directly supports our nation's
educational goals
College Completion: AP contributes to college persistence and success.
Research consistently shows that students who score a 3 or higher on AP
Exams typically experience greater academic success in college and have
higher graduation rates than otherwise comparable non-AP peers.
Equity in Education: AP provides rigorous academic opportunities to all
students.
Minority and low-income students who participate in AP, and
particularly those who score a 3 or higher on the exam, are much more
likely to earn a college degree within 5 years of beginning college than
comparable minority and low-income students.
STEM: AP fosters achievement in science and math
Students who took math or science exams were more likely than non-AP
students to earn degrees in particular physical science, engineering, and
life science disciplines – the fields leading to the cutting-edge careers
that can help restore America’s competitiveness.
8
The number of Missouri students scoring 3+
on an AP Exam in 2010 was higher than the
number who even took exams in 2001
2001
2010
Number of seniors who
took an AP Exam in high
school
3,463
8,364
Percentage of seniors
who took an AP Exam in
high school
6.4
13.4
Number of seniors who
scored a 3+ on an AP
Exam in high school
2,208
4,682
Percentage of seniors
who scored a 3+ on an
AP Exam in high school
4.1
7.5
Recent Missouri and Midwest AP
Developments
 Missouri Senate Bill 265 - This act creates the "Advanced
Placement Incentive Grant." Any student who receives an
Access Missouri award or receives funds under the A+ Schools
Program and has also received a score of 3 or higher on two
or more Advanced Placement tests in math or science will
receive a $500 grant. In addition, a student must have
earned the AP scores while attending a Missouri public high
school.
 Indiana Public Law 91-2010 (HB 1135) - Starting with the
2011 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, students that earn a
score of 3 or higher shall receive college credit towards their
degree if they attend any Indiana public institution of higher
education; this includes all two and four year schools and
any accompanying satellites.
Missouri AP Equity and Excellence
District Honor Roll
The following Missouri school districts have opened AP
classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students,
while maintaining or improving the percentage of students
earning scores of 3 or higher.
 Archdiocese of St Louis Education Office
 Hazelwood School District
 Kirkwood School District R-7
 Parkway School District
 Webster Groves School District
 Wentzville School District R4
AP Equity and Excellence Districts of
the Year Awards
The following school districts have made especially dramatic
improvements among traditionally underserved student
populations. They have opened AP classroom doors to a
significantly broader pool of students, while maintaining or
improving the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or
higher.
 Small: West New York School District, NJ
 Medium: Colton Joint Unified School District, CA
 Large: Chicago Public Schools, IL
The following district that has made a profound stride in using
AP to create a culture focused on college readiness.
 Beacon Award: Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL
AP Field Research:
College Admission Officers
Attitudes, Beliefs, Needs, Wants – What Do We
Know?
Recently, the AP Program has undertaken the largest study of
stakeholders’ values ever conducted by AP. Large,
representative samples are being gathered from the following
groups:
 AP Teachers
 College Admissions Officers
 College Department Chairs
 AP Coordinators
 School and district administrators
 AP exam Readers
 Students
 Parents
Key Findings: College Admissions
•
AP’s three primary uses for admissions officers;
1) an indication of a student’s motivation to challenge him/herself
2) evaluation of how prepared a student is for the rigors of college
3) evaluation of candidate’s credentials within the context of his/her own
high school
•
AP course and grades, not exams are most important AP
factor used in admission decisions (timing and selectively
are predominant issues)
•
64% of admissions officers view all AP courses equally on
the transcript.
Ranking for those who feel certain courses are more important than others
(Math/Comp Sci/Stats (36%); Science (31%); English (26%); Language (21%))
Source: Crux Market Research Inc. (2008)
Key Findings: College Admissions (Cont)
•
Admissions officers have a strong interest in using AP as a
recruitment tool, but are unsure how to best incorporate this
into their existing processes
•
Admissions officers are supportive of AP and want to be
informed/updated on a regular basis
•
71% of institutions feel their current credit/placement polices
help them recruit students, while only 6% feel their current
policies inhibit their ability to recruit students
•
74% of institutions currently don’t have a process in place to
get AP Exam grades from their Registrar’s office; 76% of
admissions officers feel AP Exam scores should also be sent to
them
•
65% of admissions officers feel the AP Course Audit is
extremely/very important
Source: Crux Market Research Inc. (2008)
Incorporating AP in Recruitment
Strategies
 AP Course Ledger
– Confirmation of authorized AP courses
– Targeted recruitment tool (geography, subject)
– Available for download to higher education institutions and state
departments at no cost
 Student Search Service (AP)
 Early outreach to 10th/11th graders who have sent you
AP scores
 Communicate AP Credit and Placement Opportunities
– AP Credit Policy Info Tool
Colleges and universities value AP Exam
scores of 3
Biology n institutions = 770; English n = 753; US History n = 747;
Calculus n = 771.
Benefits of AP:
For Students, Schools and
Educational Reform
Key Benefits of AP
 AP courses establish a college-level curriculum standard in
secondary schools; student performance is measured through
a national assessment designed and scored by college
faculty.
 AP courses expose college-bound students to the study skills
and habits of mind essential for success in college courses.
 Students who take AP Exams and score a 3 or higher typically
experience greater academic success and higher college
graduation rates than non-AP students.
 Because AP is widely used for college credit and/or
placement, it attracts motivated students eager to double
major, or engage in deeper, upper-division courses at
college.
 AP provides leverage for aligning and strengthening the
grades 6-12 curriculum.
AP Participation and Likelihood of Graduation
College Graduation Rate differences between “matched” AP and non-AP students*
5-year College Graduation Rate Difference Between
“Matched” AP and Non-AP Students
Student Demographic
26%
Higher
28%
Higher
28%
Higher
33%
Higher
34%
*Students who scored a 3 or higher on AP Exams
Source: Dougherty, Mellor and Jian, 2006
Higher
AP Provides a Reliable and Consistent
Indication of Rigor
•
Standardized assessment
•
Syllabi approved through AP Course Audit
•
Courses and exams developed by faculty from
many institutions
•
Exams scored by subject experts
AP and College Success
 Research continues to suggest that AP Exam scores
of 3 or higher are consistently predictive of
student college success
 College Board aims to strengthen partnerships with
K-12, higher education, and states to help more
students earn scores of 3 or higher
 College Board believes that willing and
academically prepared students should be
encouraged and supported in taking on the
challenge of college-level courses in high school
AP students who earn exam scores of 3+ outperform
non-AP students
Source: Morgan and Klaric, 2007
AP Tomorrow
http://advancesinap.collegeboard.org
AP Course & Exam Review: Background
A National Research Council Report (2002)
identified several opportunities to improve
math and science education in the US.
• Courses should emphasize deep
understanding rather than
comprehensive coverage.
• Programs should reflect current
understanding of learning in the
discipline.
• Programs should reflect current
research directions within the
disciplines.
• Courses should include a strong
emphasis on inquiry and reasoning.
AP Course & Exam Review: Curriculum Overview
• AP Sciences
• Reduce breadth, increase depth
• Foster increased emphasis on inquiry, reasoning, and science
practice
• Focus exam questions on the integration and application of
knowledge and skills, rather than simple recall of memorized facts.
• AP History
• Changing the exam so that teachers have greater flexibility to teach
topics of their choice in depth.
• Help students develop historical thinking skills and enduring
understanding of key concepts in history (skills measured by exam
items like Document-Based Questions (DBQs), rather than
memorization
• Enable students to enter college history coursework with the skills
and abilities essential to further historical scholarship.
• AP World Languages
• Revised the curricula to align with 21st century practices focused on
the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive and
Presentational.
Course and Exam Review: Updates
Community Driven Change: AP Biology Committee
Stacy Baker, Staten Island Academy
Betty Ann Wonderly, Hockaday School
Spencer Benson, University of Maryland
Bill Wood, University of Colorado
Arnold Best,Tri-Cities HS
Julianne Zedalis, The Bishop’s School
A. Malcolm Campbell, Davidson College
J.K. Haynes, Morehouse College
Robert Cannon, University of North Carolina
Doris R. Helms, Clemson University
Elizabeth Carzoli, Castle Park HS
John R. Jungck, Beloit College
Liz Cowles, Eastern Connecticut University
Chasity Malatesta, West Salem HS
Janice Earle, National Science Foundation
Pat Marsteller, Emory University
Kim Foglia, Division Ave HS
Sue Offner, Lexington HS
Michael Gaines, University of Miami
Jim Pellegrino, University of Illinois at Chicago
Pamela Gunter-Smith, Drew University
Jeanne Pemberton, University of Arizona
Peggy O’Neill Skinner, The Bush School
Jack Kay, Iolani HS
Nancy Songer, University of Michigan
Sharon Radford, The Paideia School
Kathy Takayama, Brown University
Mark Reckase, Michigan State University
Gordon Uno, University of Oklahoma
Brad Williamson, University of Kansas
Community Driven Change: Biology Departments Endorsements
American University
Amherst College
Barnard College
Baylor University
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brigham Young University
California State Polytechnic University
California State University -Fresno
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Claremont McKenna College
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Davidson College
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Haverford College
Iowa State University
Johns Hopkins University
Loyola University Chicago
Notre Dame University
Ohio State University
Penn State University
Pepperdine University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Stanford University
SUNY Center Albany
Trinity College
Union College
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas Fayetteville
University of British Columbia
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland
University of Pittsburgh
University of Tennessee Knoxville
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin -La Crosse
University of Wisconsin -Madison
Villanova University
Washington State University
Wellesley College
Whitman College
Yale University
Questions? …and Thank You!
Marc Geslani – mgeslani@collegeboard.org
AP STEM Students Typically Take More Courses in
the Discipline Than Non-AP Students
AP Students: At
least one related
course
Non-AP
Students: At
least one related
course
AP Students:
Number of
courses in the
discipline
Non-AP
Students:
Number of
courses in the
discipline
Biology
63%
59%
4.5
2.6
Chemistry
71%
56%
5.5
2.7
Physics B
72%
59%
8.2
4.2
Computer
Science
58%
28%
3.7
0.9
Calculus AB
84%
90%
7.7
5.7
Calculus BC
89%
90%
10.7
5.7
Source: AP Students in College: An Analysis of Five-Year Academic Trends (2007)
Rick Morgan and John Klaric.
AP students typically take as many if not more
courses in a related discipline than non-AP students
Source: Morgan and Klaric, 2007