Jan 21, 2018
Despite lower AP class enrollment and performance for poorer school districts, NYC is pushing ahead to expand access to the critical college-prep coursework for all city high schoolers.
Thousands of high schoolers nationwide rely on Advanced Placement (AP) class credits to lead ahead academically before heading to college. For thousands of New York City students, the first hurdle is having access to AP classes in the first place.
New data released from NYC’s Independent Budget Office shows that more than 50,000 city students starting high school in the 2011-2012 school year never took an AP class – around 70% of all city high schoolers. Poorer school districts had less access: 78% of high schoolers from low-income families (predominantly African-American and Latinx) didn’t take any AP classes. Of those who could and did, only 38% of low-income family students passed their AP tests.
But more African-American and Latinx high schoolers are participating in AP classes more than ever, due to NYC’s year-old “AP for All” initiative, which aims to provide access to AP classes for all NYC students by 2021. A record 44,906 city high schoolers took at least one AP test in 2016, the first year the initiative launched – an 8.4% increase from 2015, with around 14% more African-American and 10% more Latinx students participating as well.
As AP class offerings continue to expand nationwide, the future looks bright for thousands of high school students and the AP class and test prep tutors who will get them over the line come exam day.
banner image from https://nypost.com/2018/01/18/city-fails-to-live-up-to-lofty-ap-exam-goals/
City Fails to Live up to Lofty AP Exam Goals https://nypost.com/2018/01/18/city-fails-to-live-up-to-lofty-ap-exam-goals/
