Black high school students are significantly underrepresented in AP courses that provide students with a jumpstart on college and serve as an early predictor of college success, according to The College Board’s “Advanced Placement Report to the Nation.” Experts say checking teacher bias and improving identification of qualified Black students can help.
More than 1.3 million students from 16,000 schools participated in the AP program last year, up from 581,000 students and 12,000 schools a decade ago. In 2006, 14.8 percent of all graduating high school seniors scored at least a 3 on one AP exam — which makes them “qualified” in the subject, and earns them college credit for testing out of an introductory course.
Blacks are underrepresented in AP, comprising just 6.9 percent of AP’s class of 2006 but 13.7 percent of the overall student population. American Indians make up 1.1 percent of the overall student population, but 0.6 percent of AP students.
Asians represent 5.5 percent of the student population, but 10.8 percent of the AP population. Hispanic students showed equal representation at 14 percent participation and a matching student population while Whites’ level of AP participation at 61.8 percent is just shy of their representation in the student body — 65 percent.
Experts say Blacks and American Indians continue to lag because they’re not encouraged to take AP courses and many simply don’t qualify. The disparity in curriculum updates, teacher training, student academic preparation and local and federal funding make it an uneven playing field, says Trevor Packer, executive director of the AP Program for The College Board, along with panel members at the press conference when the report was released.
Hispanic students have made gains in states where they make up a significant percentage of the population and which feature targeted programs to increase involvement. Hispanic students in Florida, for instance, have benefited from aggressive initiatives that identify qualified Hispanic students through standardized tests, and then steer them toward AP courses.
