Posted on: Thursday, January 27, 2005
More students passing AP exam
| • | Why take AP courses? |
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer
More of Hawai'i's high schoolers are passing advanced placement exams, but they still lag behind the national average in the percentage of students who demonstrate college-level mastery of the course material.
Offered in subjects such as history, English and calculus, AP courses give high school students the opportunity to study more rigorous college-level material. At the end of the year, students can take AP exams to earn college credit and potentially skip college courses that cover the same content. Last year, about 7.7 percent of Hawai'i's high schoolers succeeded on the AP exams by receiving scores of 3 or higher on a 5-point scale, up from 5.8 percent in 2000. The national average is 13.2 percent.
However, Hawai'i had a higher percentage of students entering postsecondary institutions last year — 57.9 percent compared to the national average of 56.8 percent.
The College Board, a nonprofit association that administers the AP program, released a report this week on how students have fared in the courses, which are one indicator of college success.
The association says that students would have better success in college if they took the rigorous AP courses while in high school.
"When students are challenged in high school, they gain the confidence to go on to college and succeed once they are there," said College Board president Gaston Caperton.
The board would like to see more entering college students with AP courses under their belts.
"Closing these gaps is one solution for improving college graduation rates," Caperton said.
According to the College Board, students who demonstrate mastery of the course by scoring 3 or higher on the exam are more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor's degree in four years or less.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.
| Why take AP courses?
Advanced Placement courses offer high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses in 19 subject areas. Demonstrating mastery on the exam at the end of the course can earn students college credit before they have even graduated from high school. The College Board offers these arguments for taking advanced placement courses: Gain the edge in college preparation • Get a head start on college-level work. • Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques. • Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work. Stand out in the college admissions process • Demonstrate your maturity and readiness for college. • Show your willingness to push yourself to the limit. • Emphasize your commitment to academic excellence. Broaden your intellectual horizons • Explore the world from a variety of perspectives, most importantly your own. • Study subjects in greater depth and detail. • Assume the responsibility of reasoning, analyzing and understanding for yourself. Source: www.collegeboard.com |
