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 provide much of a boost for students when they get to college. But some experts contend that it is more important to look at high school students' AP exam grades, and not just AP enrollment in assessing the impact of AP courses on students' academic success in college. Research suggests that passing AP exams is a more important factor than AP enrollment in determining whether students graduate from college on time.