Number of students passing AP exams is on rise

Statistics show that more students are enrolling in, and passing, advanced placement (AP) courses for college credit. Writing for the McClatchy-Tribune, vice president of the National Math and Science Initiative Greg Fleisher noted how AP courses prepare students for more rigorous college classes, and students who pass an AP exam are substantially more likely to go on to earn a college diploma than those who do not.

Considering that merit scholarships are common programs at colleges and universities, scores of three or four on an AP exam for English or Math and Science could benefit students when they apply for college scholarships. A respectable grade point average and solid SAT scores may lead to being awarded financial aid for college.

With consideration to the academic advantages of passing AP courses, a Virginia high school enrolled more students in its AP Biology class than it could provide desks for, according to the Newport News. Meg Wiggins, a teacher at Woodside High School, told the news source that accepting so many students into her AP Math and Sciences courses will hurt the school's exam score average. However, challenging as many students as possible to succeed under difficult circumstances is much more important.

She went on to mention that some students think "only the absolute cream-of-the-crop, smartest kids going to Harvard can be successful in AP, and that is absolutely not true."

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