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Advanced Placement (AP)
The College Board
(Piloted First AP Exams in 1956)
“The College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission it is to connect students to college success and opportunity” (2007).
College Board Association
- 5,000 schools, colleges, universities
Annual Services
- 7,000,000 students
- 23,000 high schools
- 3,500 colleges
Best-known programs
- SAT
- PSAT
- Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Courses
- 37 Courses
- Variety of Subjects
- Authorized Courses
- Exams created by Development Committees
- $86 Fee for Each Exam in May 2009
30 AP Courses Offered in MNPS: 2008-2009
| Art History |
Environmental Science |
Macroeconomics |
Spanish Literature |
| Biology |
European History |
Microeconomics |
Statistics |
| Calculus AB |
French Language |
Music Theory |
Studio Art |
| Calculus BC |
German Language |
Physics B |
Studio Art 2-D, 3-D Design |
| Chemistry |
Human Geography |
Physics C |
United States Government/Politics |
| Comparative Government and Politics |
Latin, Lyric Poetry |
Psychology |
United States History |
| English Language/Composition |
Latin, Vergil’s Aeneid |
Spanish Language |
World History |
| English Literature/Comp |
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National AP Scores
“While more American public school students are taking Advanced Placement tests, the proportion of tests receiving what is deemed a passing score has dipped, and the mean score is down for the fourth year in a row, an Education Week analysis of newly released data from the College Board shows.”
Cech, Scott J. “AP Scores Fall as Test-Taking Rises.” Education Week 27 (2008): 1, 13.
AP News from MNPS Schools!
| Lorraine Hastings (K-12 Chief Educational Manager, College Board Southern Regional Office) presented at the January 2009 AP Advisory Council meetings. |
Mary Kroeger, AP Spanish teacher at East Literature Magnet, is establishing meeting times for her foreign language colleagues across the District. |
| Christian Sawyer, social studies teacher at Hillsboro High School, authored an AP Student Interest Survey that could be used by schools prior to spring course registration. He has proposed an AP Recruitment and Registration Committee for his school. |
Carol Crittenden, MNPS VP Arts Coordinator, is working with colleagues to develop a proposal and course description for a new AP Music Performance course. |
AP Goals for MNPS Schools
- Increase the number of AP subject offerings at MNPS schools:
- strengthening vertical teams
- using AP Potential data to encourage and inform more students
- Increase the number of students taking AP courses:
- surveying students about courses they want
- using data from PLAN and other assessments to recruit students
- Increase the number of students taking AP tests:
- increasing student content and confidence for taking tests
- informing and training honors teachers about AP material and strategies
- Increase AP test scores:
- offering and promoting out-of-class tutoring
- reducing AP class size
- providing meaningful AP training and professional growth opportunities
- identifying and training strong AP teachers
- encouraging AP teachers to read AP exams in the summer
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