Last Updated on Friday, August 24, 2007 at 5:01 AM
News Release 06-046 -- August 29, 2006
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- The number of Kentucky public high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and scoring at high levels continues to rise, data released today from the College Board indicate.
Since 2004, the number of Kentucky public high school students taking AP examinations and scoring 3, 4 or 5 has risen.
Number of AP Number of Tests Number of Scores 3-5
Test-Takers
2004 9,688 15,211 6,951
2005 10,387 16,361 7,545
2006 11,627 18,670 8,966
"Kentucky's public schools continue to improve access to AP courses for all students," said
Kentucky Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit. "In November 2005, the National Governors Association
awarded grants of $500,000 each to Kentucky and five other states to improve the access to and success
in AP courses. Kentucky has used its award to increase student and teacher preparation for AP and to
develop AP expansion. Now, it's time to focus attention on the rigor and relevance of the AP courses
offered, both in the classroom and through the Kentucky Virtual High School, so that the coursework is
meaningful and meets the high expectations of AP."
The performance of ethnic groups in Kentucky's public schools also showed increases from 2005
to 2006. Since 2000, the number of non-white public school students taking one or more AP exams has
nearly tripled.
NUMBER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING ONE OR MORE AP EXAMS BY ETHNICITY
African American
2000 135
2001 154
2002 202
2003 338
2004 357
2005 414
2006 441
American Indian
2000 13
2001 15
2002 14
2003 23
2004 33
2005 28
2006 37
Asian
2000 202
2001 234
2002 282
2003 298
2004 385
2005 446
2006 479
Hispanic
2000 54
2001 65
2002 69
2003 82
2004 115
2005 148
2006 213
White
2000 5,621
2001 5,838
2002 6,644
2003 7,529
2004 8,594
2005 9,060
2006 9,912
Other
2000 100
2001 117
2002 135
2003 155
2004 194
2005 223
2006 253
No Response
2000 50
2001 84
2002 84
2003 123
2004 142
2005 194
2006 292
TOTAL
2000 6,175
2001 6,507
2002 7,430
2003 8,548
2004 9,759
2005 10,513
2006 11,627
Since 2000, the number of AP test scores of 3, 4 or 5 has risen for students in all ethnic groups.
NUMBER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH GRADES 3-5 ON AP EXAMS BY ETHNICITY
African American
2000 41
2001 42
2002 68
2003 95
2004 106
2005 112
2006 131
American Indian
2000 5
2001 8
2002 4
2003 11
2004 16
2005 17
2006 15
Asian
2000 147
2001 159
2002 197
2003 207
2004 262
2005 304
2006 340
Hispanic
2000 42
2001 40
2002 45
2003 43
2004 71
2005 91
2006 121
White
2000 2,802
2001 2,878
2002 3,345
2003 3,690
2004 4,227
2005 4,387
2006 4,997
Other
2000 53
2001 65
2002 84
2003 101
2004 105
2005 124
2006 130
No Response
2000 24
2001 47
2002 46
2003 51
2004 74
2005 87
2006 161
TOTAL
2000 3,072
2001 3,239
2002 3,789
2003 4,198
2004 4,861
2005 5,122
2006 5,895
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Based on their performance on rigorous AP exams, students can earn credit, advanced placement or both for college.
In 1987, the Kentucky Board of Education established the Commonwealth Diploma Program to encourage Kentucky's high school students to take demanding and rigorous courses that would prepare them for college. Criteria for the diploma include successful completion of at least four AP courses (English, science or mathematics, foreign language and one additional AP course) and completion of at least three AP exams.
Senate Bill 74, passed by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2002, required the development of a core AP curriculum and the expansion of access to AP courses through the Kentucky Virtual High School. Currently, 34 AP courses are offered in Kentucky, including art history, biology, chemistry, English literature, United States history, physics and statistics.
Schools and districts determine prerequisite requirements for student eligibility. Common criteria include grades, teacher recommendations and PSAT and other test scores. Many schools utilize an application process. The College Board encourages, but does not require, a non-exclusive admittance policy.
The College Board also released data on SAT and PSAT/NMSQT scores. Kentucky public high school students who took the SAT I in 2006 made slight gains in both the verbal and mathematics portions of the test.
SAT I Verbal SAT I Math
2004 555 558
2005 558 560
2006 559 564
For the 2006 administration, SAT added a writing examination. The writing mean score for Kentucky public school students was 549.
A very small percentage of Kentucky public school students take the SAT I -- only 8 percent of graduating seniors participated in the test in 2006. Due to the varying degrees of participation among states, the College Board cautions against making comparisons based on mean scores.
The mean scores of Kentucky public high school sophomores and juniors who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) showed slight increases in reading and mathematics at both grade levels and in writing at the junior level. The PSAT/NMSQT is scored on a scale of 0 to 80.
YEAR GRADE NUMBER OF MEAN CRITICAL MEAN MEAN
LEVEL TEST-TAKERS READING MATH WRITING
2004 Sophomore 9,159 41.1 41.8 44.6
2005 Sophomore 9,625 41.9 42.9 45.4
2006 Sophomore 9,932 42.4 43.4 44.3
2004 Junior 9,704 47.1 47.5 49.9
2005 Junior 9,613 48.2 49.2 50.8
2006 Junior 9,427 49.1 50.1 50.3
The SAT is a three-hour test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills they need to be successful academically. Many colleges and universities use the SAT as one indicator of a student's readiness to do college-level work. SAT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants and the accepted scores at an institution and can be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid. Kentucky colleges and universities typically use the ACT as an admission requirement, which is reflected in the small percentage of students who take the SAT.
The SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 (for math and verbal) and is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. The test is administered several times a year.
The PSAT/NMSQT is co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test. The PSAT/NMSQT measures critical reading skills, mathematics problem-solving skills and writing skills.
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