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Georgia students rank high on Advanced Placement tests

A report released last week by the National College Board shows Georgia is beginning to reap the benefits of increased participation in Advanced Placement courses, says the Department of Education.

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox has encouraged greater participation in the challenging college-level courses, citing studies that show they enhance critical thinking skills and boost SAT scores.

The 2005 Advanced Placement Report to the Nation gives a detailed look at state participation rates broken down demographically and examines the number of students who earned the all-important 3 or above on at least one AP exam before going on to college.

But research shows that students who successfully complete an AP course, even if the exam score is below a 3, are better prepared for college than their peers who did not take AP.

Southwest DeKalb High School was recognized for having the largest number of African-American students scoring 3 or better on the AP US History exam of any high school in the nation.

Nationally, Georgia ranks 18th in the percentage of students demonstrating “college level mastery” on at least one AP course in high school. College level mastery is determined by calculating how many students in the state’s total high school population scored 3 or above on at least one AP exam.

A closer look at southern states has Georgia ranked fourth, behind Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.

“AP courses allow students to develop their critical thinking skills,” said Cox. “The research doesn’t lie —  students who take AP courses score higher on the SAT and perform better in college. Plain and simple, they’re better prepared for the challenges they’ll face once they leave high school.”

Across Georgia, the number of students taking AP classes is up 10 percent and the number earning 3 or above on final exams to qualify for college credit is up 7 percent.

Nationally, the percentage of students taking AP tests only increased by 8 percent from 2003 to 2004.

The number of Georgia’s Hispanic students taking AP exams rose 16 precent, and the number scoring 3 or above rose 21 percent. The number of Georgia’s black students taking the test has also risen 20 percent.

The College Board administers exams in 34 different subject areas. The most popular are U.S. history, English lit, calculus, English/Language arts, world history, U.S. government, biology and statistics.

Currently, the state pays for a student to take one AP exam. If a student is participating in the free and reduced price lunch program, the state pays for multiple exams. All students taking advantage of this opportunity must be enrolled in an approved AP course.