Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Issues Statement on College
Board's Sixth Annual AP® Exam Report to the Nation
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement regarding today's release of the College Board's 6th Annual AP (Advanced Placement) Report to the Nation (Outside Source).:
"California continues to be a national leader in terms of the number of students who take AP and other advanced courses. As indicated in the College Board's new report on AP test data, 32 percent of California students in the class of 2009 took at least one AP exam during high school, compared to 26.5 percent nationwide. In addition, 20.8 percent of California students in the class of 2009 who took an AP exam during high school earned a score of 3 or higher (on a scale of 0 to 5), compared to 15.9 percent for the nation.
"I am especially pleased that the report shows that the Hispanic or Latino and African American subgroups of California students experienced relatively larger percentage gains in AP exam participation and performance when compared to white students. This is evidence that we are making progress in closing the achievement gap in California's public schools.
"California's success in the most recent cycle of AP exams is impressive. We must remain dedicated to helping all students meet high expectations and closing the achievement gap.
"Finally, I am pleased to point out that the College Board's report identifies the AP Spanish Language exam given to students at Calexico High School in the Calexico Unified School District (Calexico, California) as an 'Exemplary AP Program,' based on Calexico High School being a public school with the largest number of Latino students from the class of 2009 scoring a 3 or higher on a particular AP exam. I hope that this outstanding program can be replicated at schools with similar student populations throughout our state."