Researchers say granular data are needed to assess whether inequities exist in students’ access to advanced coursework, including the College Board’s Advanced Placement courses.
The College Board published data from the 2022-23 school year earlier this year tracking students’ access to AP courses in their schools, participation in these advanced courses, and their performance on AP exams across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These data are also available at the national level over time.
Here you’ll find these data over time to see some changes—or lack thereof—when breaking such figures down by students’ race and ethnicity.
The College Board’s choice to separate data by the availability of AP courses, participation in AP courses, and performance on AP exams reflects how not all students enroll in AP courses even if their school offers them, said Kristen Hengtgen, a senior policy analyst who focuses on access to advanced coursework at The Education Trust, an advocacy and research organization.
Even when students of color enroll in these courses, they may struggle to feel that they belong, Hengtgen added.
In research for The Education Trust, Hengtgen noted that in the last few years, some states have experienced a decline in student enrollment in AP courses yet an increase in student participation in other kinds of advanced coursework.
This is likely attributable to enrollment in dual credit or dual enrollment programs, Hengtgen said.
