Advanced Placement

The AP program is a nationally recognized, successful strategy for introducing students to the challenges of college-level coursework while they are still in high school. The AP program:

• is structured so that high schools can offer college level work in up to 38 courses covering 20 subject areas,
• provides an opportunity for students enrolled in AP courses and others who have completed related honors courses or studied independently to be tested on a level similar to college course standards, and
• provides voluntary staff development for AP teachers through consultants, workshops, and publications by College Board staff.

Advanced Placement examinations are scored on a scale ranging from one to five (1: no recommendation, 2: possibly qualified, 3: qualified, 4: well qualified, and 5: extremely well qualified). Higher education institutions worldwide award college credit or advanced placement to students for AP coursework, with each college or university deciding which AP examination scores and courses will be accepted. Most higher education institutions grant credit and/or advanced placement for AP scores of 3 or better. Therefore, the standard for competency has been defined as a score of 3 or above.

BCPS students enrolled in AP courses are required under School Board Policy 6000.1 to participate in the AP examination. Students who believe they will be successful on the AP examinations based on participation in other rigorous academic curriculum, such as International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, may sit for the examination(s) even though they are not enrolled in AP courses.

Examination dates are determined by the College Board and are scheduled in May. Districts may not modify administration dates. Broward staff has requested an additional administration date in January to accommodate schools following a 4x4 block schedule. That request, however, has been denied.

Advanced Placement (AP) is a nationally recognized program which provides high school students with the opportunity to access college level courses. A review of data reveals that an increased number of high schools are offering the full complement of Advanced Placement core courses either on-site or via distance learning opportunities. In addition, data from the past three years demonstrate that both the number of students enrolled in AP courses and those taking AP examinations has continued to increase.

• From 2005-06 to 2007-08 Broward County registered a 19% increase in the number of students enrolled in AP classes (10,582 to 12,644) and a 22% increase in the number of AP examinations administered (16,943 to 20,612).
• While the number of AP examinations with scores of 3 or above has increased 26 percentage points from 7,769 in 2005-06 to 9,818 in 2007-08, the percent of AP examinations scoring 3 or above has increased slightly (45.9% vs. 47.6%) during this three-year period.
• The percent of AP examination scores of 3 or above declined during this three-year period Globally and for Florida, but increased for Broward.
• Black, Hispanic, and White students demonstrated gains in the number of AP participants. However, the average number of AP examinations for each student declined for Black students from 1.58 in 2005-06 to 1.47 in 2007-08. The decrease in the average number of examinations for Black students is not unexpected, considering the large increase in the number of Black students participating, who may be opting to take a single AP course. The average number of AP examinations remained relatively stable for Hispanic and White students.

Advanced Placement Procedural Guide (pdf)