If states want to expand access to Advanced Placement courses equitably, they should consider requiring all high schools to offer at least one AP course, and to double down on enrolling students who have typically been underrepresented in those classes, according to a new policy brief on the subject.
Those are just two of the strategies outlined by the Education Commission of the States in its 50-state examination of statewide strategies that promote fairer access to AP courses.
The brief analyzes AP use across the states, and notes the uneven access that has been reported in previous research. Studies have found, for instance, that while AP participation overall has soared in recent years, students in rural and small districts have fewer choices of AP classes than their peers in bigger towns and cities. The report notes there are longstanding gaps in participation among ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups as well.
