More than half of the graduates from the MCPS Class of 2018 earned a college-ready score on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam, far outperforming their peers across the state and the nation.

In 2018, 53.1 percent of MCPS graduates earned a college-ready score of 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, an increase of nearly two percentage points from 2016 and significantly higher than the state of Maryland (31.6 percent) and the nation (23.5 percent).

More than two-thirds of graduates from the Class of 2018 (67.5 percent) took at least one AP exam while in high school, an increase of two percentage points from 2016 and also significantly higher than the state (49.1 percent) and the nation (38.9 percent).

“Our students continue to excel on Advanced Placement exams and are demonstrating their readiness for college-level work,” said Superintendent Jack Smith. “These results are to be celebrated and we will continue to intensify our efforts to ensure all students have access to rigorous classes and are well-prepared for success.”

AP exam participation and performance for minority student groups continue to rise and were notable districtwide. The percentage of African American graduates who took at least one AP exam increased 5.1 percentage points from 2016, along with an increase of 4.4 percentage points in the AP performance rate. The percentage of Hispanic graduates who took at least one AP exam increased nearly two percentage points from 2016 and the performance rate also improved by two percentage points.

Seventeen of the 25 MCPS high schools experienced an increase in the percentage of African American and Hispanic graduates who earned an AP exam score of 3 or higher.

Nine MCPS high schools (Montgomery Blair, Damascus, Col. Zadok Magruder, Northwood, Paint Branch, Quince Orchard, Springbrook, Watkins Mill and Walt Whitman) saw increases in AP exam participation and performance for Hispanic and African American graduates.

International Baccalaureate

Participation and performance on International Baccalaureate exams are growing across the district.

International Baccalaureate programs are offered at eight MCPS high schools. In 2018, 10 percent of MCPS graduates took at least one IB exam, which is up 1.4 percentage points compared to 2016 (8.6 percent). The proportion of graduates who earned at least one IB exam score of 4 or higher remained steady.
 

In the last three years, there was a positive trend in IB exam participation and performance among all students groups although the increase remained relatively flat for male and Asian graduates, and those receiving special education or limited English proficiency (LEP) services.

Class of 2018 AP IB Exam Performance