February 20, 2024 |Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Education, News, State of MA, Youth

Massachusetts Graduates Lead Nation in Advanced Placement Success

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Massachusetts again had the highest percentage of graduating class scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam

Massachusetts again ranks first in the nation for the percentage of graduating high school seniors who scored a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) exam, according to results released by the College Board today.

In addition, Massachusetts is among the states with the largest 10-year gains in the percentage of Hispanic/Latino graduates and the percentage of Black/African American graduates taking an AP exam during high school.

“We are so proud of our hardworking Massachusetts students for this great accomplishment, and we’re grateful to the incredible educators who supported them every step of the way,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our administration will continue working hard to give our school districts the resources they need to help more students take advantage of advanced coursework that will help prepare them for college and careers.”

“The successes we’re announcing today reflect the hard work of students and educators who took on an extra challenge with AP courses,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “Congratulations to the students, teachers and families who made these achievements possible.”

“I’m thrilled to see such strong results for Massachusetts AP students. I’d strongly encourage every high school student to talk to their teachers or guidance counselor about taking an AP course, joining an Early College program, enrolling in an Innovation Career Pathway, or exploring other advanced coursework and career pathway programs,” said Education Secretary Patrick A. Tutwiler. “Successfully completing an AP course and taking the test is an accomplishment, and I’m especially proud to see such a diverse range of students doing so.”

A score of 3 out of 5 on an AP exam shows a student’s ability to complete work for an introductory college-level course in that subject area. Some colleges will award students credit for AP scores of 3 or higher.

The state’s efforts to make AP courses more widely accessible have included working with Mass Insight’s AP STEM & English Program to increase AP participation and performance, particularly among underserved populations; subsidizing exam fees for low-income students; and expanding the number of high schools that offer AP courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through the STEM AP Access Expansion Opportunity, a partnership with VHS Learning and CSforMA, Inc. 

Highlights from this year’s results include:

• 31.3 percent of Massachusetts public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam during high school, the highest percentage in the nation. Nationally, 21.7 percent of public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher. Massachusetts has been at the top of this metric in several other years, most recently in 2022.
• Between 2013 and 2023, the percentage of Massachusetts graduates scoring 3 or higher grew 4.9 percentage points, from 26.4 percent to 31.3 percent.
• Approximately 90 percent of Massachusetts public high schools offer at least one AP course.

• 45.2 percent of Massachusetts 2023 graduates took an AP exam during high school (the fourth highest percentage in the country), and this represents an 8.6 percentage point increase from 36.6 percent in 2013.
• 38.2 percent of Hispanic/Latino Massachusetts graduates from 2023 took an AP exam during high school (the 10^th highest percentage in the country), and this represents a 16.2 percentage point increase from 22.0 in 2013. This percentage point change over 10 years is the fourth highest in the country.
• 32.2 percent of Black/African American Massachusetts graduates from 2023 took an AP exam during high school (the third highest percentage in the country), and this represents a 9.5 percentage point increase from 22.7 in 2013. This percentage point change over 10 years is the third highest in the country.

“These results are encouraging, but they also show that there are gaps in who signs up for AP exams,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “We’ll continue to work with districts, schools and partners to make sure that students know that advanced coursework is an option for them.”

“The state’s efforts to increase the number of Latino students in Massachusetts taking AP exams is evident in the latest data. It’s a step in the right direction,” said Amanda Fernández, CEO and founder of Latinos for Education. “These results also show that we can’t slow our efforts until all our students have equitable access to AP exams. I look forward to continued collaboration in closing the gap of Latino students taking advanced coursework.” 

“These results are a testament to the great work of our students and teachers and the strength of the public-private partnership that supports our program,” said Susan F. Lusi, president and CEO of Mass Insight. “We celebrate these results and know that more work remains, including helping all students get an earlier start on preparing for advanced coursework.”

“VHS Learning is thrilled to partner with DESE to provide students with advanced learning opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them. We are proud of the strong student achievement in our AP program and are committed to providing a nurturing and supportive learning environment in which students thrive,” said VHS Learning President and CEO Carol DeFuria. “We encourage students to consider taking advanced coursework such as AP Computer Science Principles in high school to help them prepare for future high-demand STEM careers.”

Advanced Placement results for the 2022-23 school year for all public high school students (grades 9-12, not just the graduating class) are available at https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/ap.aspx.

The above press release was submitted to us by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.