In February of 2013, the College Board announced it would undertake a redesign of the SAT® in order to develop an assessment that better reflects the work that students will do in college, focusing on the core knowledge and skills that evidence has shown to be critical in preparation for college and career. The redesigned test will be introduced…

In February 2012, the College Board published The 8th Annual AP Report to the Nation. This session provides a deeper dive into key information for the United States with an emphasis on Florida, and participants hear how one school in Florida utilizes AP Potential™ to help build their AP Program. Participants also learn about AP participation and…

When educators see that two students received a B in a particular course in two different schools and/or years, does it indicate the same level of understanding and achievement for both students? This paper addresses the assumption that grades are equivalent within subjects across schools and years. By comparing course grades to a standardized…

This report presents the results of a large-scale national validity study of the SAT®. In March 2005, the College Board introduced a revised SAT, with an additional section in writing and minor changes in content to the verbal and mathematics sections. The first full cohort of students taking this test completed their first year of college in…

From the moment students step into an Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) classroom, they notice the difference in the teacher's approach to the subject, in the attitude of their classmates, in the new way of thinking the curriculum requires. More than just a class, AP is a community of students and educators who are passionate, curious, and…

This study examined outcomes for AP® Calculus and AP Physics students on the 2015 Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) relative to other participating countries and other advanced math and science students in the United States. Compared to other countries in the study, AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C: EM students outperformed all…

In classrooms around the country, AP (Advanced Placement) teachers are preparing students for tomorrow by teaching them how to think and learn today. AP students learn to construct solid arguments, test theories, and see many sides of an issue--the kind of thinking that solves tough problems both in and outside the classroom, in college and…

Undocumented immigrants face tremendous difficulties when seeking a higher education. The imposition of out-of-state tuition fees effectively keeps them out of college in most of the United States. In 14 states, in-state tuition laws allow these students to pay lower fees and, in a few cases, access state financial aid. However, even in these 14…

This report shows how well educators across the United States have increased access to the types of rich academic experiences that prepare students for success in college. By combining national, state and AP (Advanced Placement) data, this report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes,…

Educators across the United States continue to enable a wider and more ethnically diverse proportion of students to achieve success in AP[R]. Significant inequities remain, however, which can result in traditionally underserved students not receiving the type of AP (Advanced Placement) opportunities that can best prepare them for college success.…

Educators across the United States continue to enable a wider and ethnically diverse proportion of students to achieve success in AP[R]. Significant inequities remain, however, which can result in traditionally underserved students not receiving the sort of AP (Advanced Placement) opportunities that can best prepare them for college success.…

More than ever before, educators across the United States are enabling a wider and more ethnically diverse proportion of students to achieve success in AP[R]. Significant inequities, however, which jeopardize traditionally underserved students' chances at college success, remain. This "Report" uses a combination of state, national, and…

The purpose of the study was to explore the academic careers of students who took AP Exams and to compare their careers with those who did not take AP Exams. For most AP Exams, students with AP grades of 3 or better had higher grade averages in intermediate college courses than did non-AP students who first took an introductory course. Two…

American educators are achieving much success in their efforts to enable a wider and more diverse group of U.S. students than ever before to succeed in college-level studies in high school. Yet individuals must also gaze clear-eyed at the inequities that remain and the challenges that accompany success in expanding access to the Advanced Placement…

Many discussions of student loan repayment focus on those students for whom repayment is a problem and conclude that the reliance on debt to finance postsecondary education is excessive. However, from both a pragmatic perspective and a logical perspective, a more appropriate approach is to develop different benchmarks for students in different…