Black Maryland Students Lead U.S. In AP Scores

For the third year in a row, Maryland leads the nation in Advanced Placement test scores for high school graduates overall, and the state also leads the country in improvement for test scores of black high school graduates over the last 10 years. Still, a vast achievement gap between black students and their peers of other races has educators pledging greater improvement and the narrowing of that gap over the next few years.

According to the College Board, the organization which administers Advanced Placement programs across the country, their goal is to give high school students access to college level studies while they are still in high school. The AP courses culminate with rigorous tests, which are graded on a scale from one to five, with three being passing.

In Maryland, 26.4 percent of the state’s high school seniors from the class of 2010 passed at least one AP exam, according to the College Board website. New York was second, with 24.6 percent, and Virginia was third at 23.7 percent.

“Maryland puts a great deal of emphasis on having the best prepared high school graduates, and the Advanced Placement Program is a key part of this effort,” said Dr. Nancy Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, in a statement. “AP provides students with a high standard, which gives them a foundation for success in college in their careers.”

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article courtesy of BlackAmericaWeb.com