Recent statistics show that the participation rates in high school Advanced Placement (AP) classes in the state of Texas has risen drastically over recent years. However, as great as it seems, the percentage of kids passing the AP test, the end-of-year exam for these courses, hasn’t risen proportionally. In fact, the percentage of students earning college credit for classes has dropped since participation rates rose. The one school that is the exception to the falling scores is Lovejoy.
“We believe that any student who is considering college should take at least one AP course to have the opportunity to experience college level of academic challenge while they are in the supportive environment of LHS and still have a considerable amount of parental influence of their academic behavior,” superintendent Ted Moore said in a recent interview with the Dallas Morning News.
The school’s effort in supporting AP classes is not the only reason so many high school students take these rigorous courses.
“At other schools, AP classes are only offered to the best and brightest kids- say, the top 10 or 15%,” AP coordinator Ray Winkler said. “Since we’re not on a track system like that and we offer AP classes to every student, there is a much greater percentage of kids that take those classes.”
This encouragement undoubtedly explains the school’s high AP enrollment: about 45% of 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. Of last year’s seniors, the Class of 2011, at least 75% had enrolled in one or more AP class. But why are the AP test scores so much higher here than in the rest of Texas?
The Lovejoy passing rate for AP exams is 54% compares to the State of Texas (44%) and the national rate (56%). According to Winkler, there are a number of factors that contribute to this difference.
“We have kids that are really prepared- they have great backgrounds, with parents that are really encouraging,” Winkler said. “We have great teachers that really support student’s learning and help them do the best they can, and the elementary and middle schools here do an excellent job of preparing students to take Pre-AP and AP classes before high school.”
AP English classes are a prime example of these exceptional scores as compared to the rest of Texas schools.
“While student enrollment has increased, AP Lit and AP Lang students consistently, as a whole, outscore both national and state standards,” Kathryn Pabst, English curriculum specialist, said. “Factors to consider: an aligned curriculum that consistently prepares our students for the rigor of the AP. Lang class, teacher preparation, parent support, district support, and intrinsic student motivation.”
