LIHUE — Hawaii’s public school students continue to show growth on Advanced Placement Program Exams. In a recent report, Hawaii State Department of Education students who were tested last May showed double-digit increases in the number of exam takers, exams
LIHUE — Hawaii’s public school students continue to show growth on Advanced Placement Program Exams.
In a recent report, Hawaii State Department of Education students who were tested last May showed double-digit increases in the number of exam takers, exams taken and scores of three or higher.
Through 38 different college-level courses and exams, the AP Program provides students opportunities to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school to earn college credit.
For the 2016-2017 school year, the Kauai School District had 392 AP exam takers test for 513 exams. Students earned scores of three or higher on 179 exams for the year.
The number of students who took the AP exam statewide during the 2015-2016 school year was 5,958, which grew to 6,599 for the 2016-2017 school year, an increase of nearly 11 percent. The number of AP exams taken statewide also increased, from 8,972 to 9,903, growing more than 10 percent since the previous year.
“The year-over-year growth the department has shown on AP Exams since 2007 is promising, and demonstrates that our students are developing a better understanding of the advantages that the AP Program provides to prepare for college,” said superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto.
More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the US provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying exam scores.
Students statewide who qualified on the five-point scale with scores of three or higher increased 15 percent from 3,634 to 4,178 compared to the previous year.
About 11 percent of Hawaii public school students who took an AP exam last school year earned an AP Scholar Award.
