Compares the number of students per 1,000 12th graders who took Advanced Placement (AP) examinations over a 13-year period. Includes differences by student gender and race/ethnicity. Highlights the dramatic increase in the number of students taking AP examinations. (Author/SLD)

In this article, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Board is described. It discusses the quality and standards for AP classes and examines the success of AP students, AP Scholar Awards, and resources for information on the AP program. A list of AP subjects and examinations is provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

Having data available is so important because it can improve upon our personal perceptions. Admittedly, statistics can sometimes be skewed to tell whatever story their handlers want them to tell, but by and large, high-quality data allow us to step back from personal perceptions and embark on an analysis with an eye toward identifying the root…

The signals had been there for years. Task force reports and researchers all predicted it. Then, in the late 1990s, the economic collapse in this blue-collar region of central Maine began. First, the Cascade Co. closed its textile mill. Then the C.F. Hathaway Co. shut down, and Dumont Industries followed suit soon after. Several stores and other…

This article highlights the expansion of the International Baccalaureate program in the United States due to the increasing amounts of interest among school districts in the subject of offering a more rigorous curriculum to be available for the students. International Baccalaureate programs, while very different from Advanced Placement programs,…

Annandale High School, Virginia, has come up with an International Baccalaureate (IB) program for high-achieving students, which also provides essential support for diverse students. The IB program is just one facet of a school culture at Annandale High that aims to increase opportunities for all students.

This article explores the growing popularity of Advanced Placement (AP) courses in U.S. high schools and examines whether AP courses are the solution to the nation's perceived academic gap. Some researchers do not think that AP courses are a panacea for improving science in U.S. schools based on a recent study's finding that AP courses do not…

In May 2001, students in the author's Advanced Placement (AP) United States History class were embroiled in a controversy surrounding the AP exam, in particular, having access to the exam's Document Based Question (DBQ) and free response portion prior to the test's administration. Prior to the exam, the College Board had provided a fifty-year time…

The authors examine concurrent enrollment programs (CEP) as an alternative to the AP/honors economics for teaching college economics in high schools. In general, they conclude that the CEP students tend to outperform the AP/honors economics student. (Contains 2 tables and 4 notes.)

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses continue to receive national recognition for their rigorous curricula, and many colleges and universities award credit to students who score well on end-of-course exams in AP classes. Research suggests that students are better prepared for college if they take these courses and…

The racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic diversity within urban areas necessitates the creation of scholastic environments that are responsive to the varying academic and social needs of the student population. This qualitative study investigates ways in which teacher and administrator behavior and the school environment contribute to the…

Outcomes of an Advanced Placement Program that has been implemented in 15 southern states to improve student achievement are examined in this report. The program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses for college credit, dependent upon passing the Advanced Placement Examination. Following a description of the program and its…

Completing the trilogy of local Amityville history written entirely by high school students using interviews, local newspapers, and documents, this journal contains 11 articles discussing the social, political, cultural, and educational scene of the community. The articles are: "De Facto Segregation in the Amityville School…

This paper describes and evaluates benefits of advanced placement programs and identifies materials which can help high school history classroom teachers develop effective advanced placement programs. An advanced placement program is defined as a program which requires a student to do extensive research and writing throughout the school year.…

The many uses of tapes (as a substitute for actual observation) to affect articulation between school and college language programs are outlined. The mechanics of a tape exchange system and its applicability for secondary school teachers, college teachers, teachers of advanced placement courses, and teachers in training are explained. (AF)