AP Report to the Nation

The College Board recently published its 2009 Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, which includes information on AP participation and performance by state.

In Oregon last year, 13% of all graduating seniors passed one or more Advanced Placement exams with a score of 3 or higher.

In Corbett, 13% of graduating seniors passed an average of 9.7 AP exams. 13% had passing scores in AP Calculus(ab), AP Calculus(bc) and AP Statistics. (not either or, but all three). 17% scored a 5 on at least one exam. 40% were AP Scholars. 60% passed at least one exam.

What about our juniors? 13% passed and average of 4.9 exams. 13% posted a score of 4 or higher on at least one exam. 14% were AP scholars. 32% passed at least one AP exam.

Sophomores? 14% passed at least one AP exam with a score of 4 or 5. 25% passed one or more exams with a score of 3 or better, nearly doubling the statewide rate for seniors! For the first time in three years, there were no AP Scholars among Corbett's 10th graders. That bears watching.

What about our TAG students? What about those 8% (according to OATAG) that are gifted or talented in one or another area? They were there. Right in the mix. They were working right along with those who weren't identified. And by all appearances, their performance was not hampered by the lack of an isolated program. Unless one wants to argue that passing from 6 to 13 AP exams represents a stunted effort, our TAG kids seemed to be just fine in spite of being in the company of non-TAG students. 8% of our graduating seniors passed an average of 10 AP exams each prior to graduation. All would have had the option to start college as sophomores had they selected colleges based on 'AP friendliness'. Some did. Others are taking full advantage of four years of access to some of the finest colleges and universities in the country.

Corbett pays for every AP exam taken by its students. The return on that investment is phenomenal, and it makes access to AP thoroughly democratic. At Corbett we don't pay much attention to who is and isn't gifted. Our gifted students are fine with that. They prove themselves with results, not with special events or secret handshakes. Even in Corbett, they are pretty easy to spot if one knows where to look. Look at their results. Look at the offers they get after high school.