The Texas Education Agency reports the Advanced Placement program is growing in Texas public schools.

Increase in Number of Test Takers and Qualifying Scores

Based on information released from The College Board, there was an 11 percent increase in the number of Texas public school students taking AP tests from 2010 to 2011. The increase in Texas outpaced the overall increase of AP test takers at public schools nationally.

The increase in the number of minority test takers in Texas public schools also outpaced national growth rates.  For instance there was a 17.3 percent increase in African-American students who took the test this past May.  Nationally the increase of African-American test takers was 9.1 percent.

The number of students earning at least a three also increased over last year for all ethnicities. Overall there was an increase of nearly 7 percent of tests that earned a qualifying score over last year.

Small Percentage of Tests Taken by African-American and Hispanic Students Earned Qualifying Score

The TEA press release does not point out the room for improvement, however. Even though the number of test takers increased overall and increased for each ethnicity, there are still stark differences between subgroups.  Most notable are the number of Hispanic and African-American students earning scores of three or above. 

Out of the total number of tests taken by African-American students in May (25,235 tests) only 22 percent of the tests earned scores of three or above.  This is compared to 55 percent of tests taken by white students earning three or above and 61 percent of tests taken by Asian students earning qualifying scores.

In other words, even though African-American and Hispanic students are taking more tests, the percentage of students earning qualifying scores is low.  This is a reflection of a number of factors, one being districts with a requirement to take AP courses/tests and open access policies of schools. 

Future Research

Undoubtedly the total number of students attending public schools in Texas has risen.  What would be interesting is to see whether the increase of AP test takers outpaces the overall growth in Texas public school students. TEA typically releases the total enrollment numbers in September of each year, so it will be possible to make those comparisons soon.

Another area of interest would be having the data separated out by income.  This would allow us to know whether or not there has been an increase in the number low income students taking AP tests and earning qualifying scores.

Role of Laying the Foundation

As a provider of teacher-to-teacher professional development, we are encouraged by the overall growth in AP test takers and qualifying scores. The gap in the number of tests taken by African-American and Hispanic students earning qualifying scores is a point of concern.   Even looking at the tests taken by all students regardless of ethnicity, Texas lags behind the national rate of earning a qualified score.

For us this illustrates the need for more rigorous instruction and better preparation of all students, starting in middle school. Providing teacher training and rigorous scaffolded lessons gives teachers the tools they need to give all students the opportunity to be ready for college. 

We see a multitude of benefits to taking AP courses.  Earning a qualifying score is one benefit, as it demonstrates content mastery and is linked to future success in college. However, taking a rigorous course that exposes students to methods for thinking critically is important for building skills needed for college courses regardless of whether the student masters the content in high school.  

Bringing students up to the level of content mastery to earn a qualifying score requires building rigor across grade levels.  LTF training helps districts as they strive to grow the number of students mastering the content as evidenced by earning a qualifying score on the exam.

• Highlights from the Texas Tribune Festival (Part One)
• Highlights from the Texas Tribune Festival (Part Two)

In the giant puzzle of modern-day education, it’s easy for teacher training organizations to accidentally let pieces fall under the coffee table. Sometimes the larger pieces, or perhaps the ones with the unique edges, catch our eye, and we make a conscientious effort to keep those in sight. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of diverting our attention from other pieces—pieces that are also critical to the completion of the puzzle.

As Ron Matus points out in this St. Petersburg Times article, the puzzle piece that we absolutely cannot lose sight of is that of results. “Innovative” partnerships, the “latest” technology, and the “best” activities are often the pieces that offer the most appeal, but unless they contribute to increased student performance—the evidence that interim Pinellas Superintendent John Steward seeks in a quality teacher training organization—money-pinched districts will question whether such a program is worth continuing.

At LTF, we understand that results are often the deciding factor for whether a district decides to pursue one teacher training organization over another. This is why we added, in our new LTF Quick Guide, a two-page spread that highlights some of our top results.

For more information about this key part of the puzzle—the impact of LTF Training on teachers, students, and districts—please contact Jared Brueckner, VP of Business Development, at jared@ltftraining.org.