The percentage of students taking more challenging courses in high school is dramatically higher now than in the early 1980s. The growth in number of students and schools participating in Advanced Placement (AP) courses is equally dramatic. AP courses are designed by college faculty and by experienced high school faculty. They are an example of schools and colleges working together to develop higher content and performance standards. Almost 3,400 high schools in Southern Regional Educational Board states offer AP courses--about twice as many as 10 years ago. More than 146,000 high school students in these states completed AP courses in 1994. Most students in this region who take AP examinations score high enough to earn credit at colleges and universities. Those who do not score high enough to earn college credit perform better in college than students who have not taken AP courses. Incorporating AP courses into a school's curriculum is not easy, however. State departments of education encourage participation in AP courses, but most do not develop comprehensive or special initiatives to support it. States are encouraged to expand and improve AP course offerings through: training seminars for AP teachers; funding part or all of AP examination fees for students; and providing incentives for schools to participate in AP programs. (KW)