The number of Missouri students who took Advanced Placement classes and scored a 3 or better increased over the past 10 years.
New data show 12.6 percent of Missouri’s 2019 graduates scored a three or better on their AP exams, up from 12.2 percent in 2018 and 7 percent in 2009.
AP class enrollment and exam participation has also increased. Just more than 21 percent of Missouri’s 2019 graduates took AP classes in high school, up from 12 percent in 2009.
Scoring a 3 or higher gives students the opportunity to earn credit for those courses at many Missouri colleges and universities. AP exams cost $94 each, or $53 for qualifying low-income students who request a reduced fee.
At the Jefferson City School District, the number of students who scored a 3 or better has not changed over the past 10 years. The average AP score in JC Schools has been 3.3 or 3.2 each year from 2010-19. In 2019, the national average score was 2.91.
Nationally, about 60 percent of students scored a 3 or higher on AP exams in 2019. At JC Schools, 75 percent of students who took AP exams scored a 3 or higher.
From 2010-18, the number of JC Schools students enrolled in AP classes increased by 248. In 2019, the number dropped by 175.
JC Schools has increased the number of AP classes that double as dual-credit classes, meaning if students pass the class, they are guaranteed college credit through Lincoln University without taking the AP exam, said Joe Lauchstaedt, associate principal at Jefferson City High School.
The Blair Oaks School District offers only one AP course, so there is low participation in AP exams. This school year, three students took the exam. Blair Oaks students tend to choose dual-credit courses to obtain college credit, Superintendent Jim Jones said.
At Helias Catholic High School, the number of students who participated in AP classes and exams and scored a 3 or above has stayed about the same over the past five years. (Helias does not have data from before 2015.) An average of 74 percent of students scored a 3 or above.