More than 33,600 exams taken in 2014; 74 percent earn college-ready score

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students took more than 33,600 Advanced Placement (AP) exams in 2014, with nearly three-quarters of those exams earning a college-ready score of 3 or higher.

MCPS students took 33,662 AP exams in 2014, a slight increase over last year. Students earned a college-ready score on 73.9 percent of those exams, an increase of about one percentage point compared with 2013. MCPS students significantly outperformed their peers across the state and the nation. In 2014, 60.9 percent of AP exams taken by students in the state of Maryland earned a college- ready score. Nationally, 57.2 percent of the AP exams taken scored a 3 or higher.   

While MCPS students account for about 17 percent of the enrollment in the state of Maryland, they accounted for 31 percent of all the AP exams taken in Maryland during 2014 and 37.5 percent of the AP exams that earned a college-ready score.

“I’m extremely proud that so many of our students are challenging themselves with rigorous AP classes and, overall, are performing at a very high level,” said Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr. “Our outstanding AP performance is the result of the hard work of our students and the commitment of our staff at all grade levels to prepare students for success now and in the future.”

AP participation and performance among African American and Hispanic MCPS students improved in 2014.

African American MCPS students took 3,578 AP exams in 2014, an increase of 281 exams compared with 2013. Nearly half of those exams (49.8 percent) earned a college-ready score of 3 or higher, an increase of 2.8 percentage points. This was considerably better than the performance of African American students in Maryland (32.9 percent) and the nation (28.9 percent).

Hispanic MCPS students took 4,271 AP exams in 2014, a slight increase (18 exams) over 2013. Of those exams, 57.7 percent earned a college-ready score, an increase of 1.7 percentage points. This was also significantly higher than the results for Hispanic students across the state (52.9 percent) and the nation (41.8 percent).

“I’m encouraged that more of our African American and Hispanic students are taking AP classes and are demonstrating their readiness for college-level work on the AP exams,” Dr. Starr said. “There is still a significant gap in AP participation and performance between our African American and Hispanic students and their White and Asian peers, but we are making progress.”

“We must continue to work together to serve all students at a high level so we can narrow and, ultimately, close those gaps,” Dr. Starr said.

Advanced Placement courses are rigorous, college-level classes that are offered across many subject areas. At the end of these courses, students can take an AP exam. A score of 3 (out of 5) or higher is an indication of readiness for college-level work. Many colleges and universities will give college credit to students who pass an AP class and score a 3 or higher on the exam.

Earning a college-ready score on at least one AP exam or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam is one of the data points that MCPS monitors as part of its Strategic Planning Framework—Building Our Future Together: Students, Staff, and Community.

School-level Results

Several MCPS high schools made significant progress on AP exams in 2014. Compared with 2013—

• Nine high schools saw an increase in both the number of exams taken and the percentage of those exams earning a college-ready score: Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Montgomery Blair, Clarksburg, Albert Einstein, Walter Johnson, Poolesville, Quince Orchard, Wheaton, and Thomas S. Wootton;
• Three high schools saw an increase in the number of exams taken by African American AND Hispanic students and the percent of those exams earning a college-ready score: Albert Einstein, Quince Orchard, and Thomas S. Wootton;
• Nine MCPS high schools saw an increase in the number of exams taken by African American students and the percent of those exams earning a college-ready score: Albert Einstein, Walter Johnson, Richard Montgomery, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley, Sherwood, Wheaton, Walt Whitman, and Thomas S. Wootton.
• Four MCPS high schools saw an increase in the number of exams taken by Hispanic students and the percent of those exams earning a college-ready score: Clarksburg, Albert Einstein, Quince Orchard, and Thomas S. Wootton
• Twelve MCPS high schools saw an increase in the number of AP exams taken, with the largest increases at Winston Churchill (+222 exams), Wheaton (+170 exams), James Hubert Blake (+127), Montgomery Blair (+112), and Walter Johnson (+110); and
• Fifteen MCPS high schools saw an increase in the percentage of AP exams earning a college-ready score, with the largest increases at Springbrook (+10.2 percentage points), Clarksburg (+7.1 points), Sherwood (+6.5 points), Paint Branch (+6 points), and Wheaton (+5.9 points). 

Report on MCPS AP Participation and Performance