Description:

The study compared Grade 9 enrollment and performance in Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History or AP U.S. Government with National, State, and Local (NSL) Government for students who took Advanced Grade 8 U.S. History from 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 with peers who did not. Overall, the percentage of students who took Advanced Grade 8 U.S. History increased from 28% in 2010 when only 18 middle schools offered the course to 86% in 2013 when all the middle schools offered the course. The relative proportion of all students with Advanced Grade 8 U.S. History who later enrolled in AP social studies in Grade 9 (12%) remained stable from 2010-2011 to 2012-2013. Two thirds or more of the students enrolled in an AP social studies course in Grade 9 earned a score of 3 or higher on their AP tests.

Recommendations:

Examine practices related to AP social studies course availability to Grade 9 students across MCPS high schools to identify factors that are limiting or driving the enrollment patterns in AP social studies in Grade 9.

Investigate why rates of participation in Advanced Grade 8 U.S. History vary across middle schools and student subgroups.

Study and disseminate the best practices of middle schools with 100% participation in advanced Grade 8 U.S. History.

Consider expanding the criteria for students perceived to be ready for AP social studies in Grade 9 to include students who performed at the Proficient level on state assessments who also had Advanced Grade 8 U.S. History and an overall GPA ≥ 3.0.

File Name: Advanced Grade 8 US History Final_15.01.14.pdf (1.1MB PDF)