State highlights increase in advanced placement courses

Between 2012 and 2022, Illinois high school seniors participating in Advanced Placement exams improved at one of the highest rates in the nation, the state agency for K-12 education announced in a news releasFriday.

The AP program allows academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies while in high school. High schools in the Sauk Valley participate in it to varying degrees.

How Illinois ranks

Basing its announcement on data from the College Board, the Illinois State Board of Education said that overall participation increased from 40,292 students in 2012 to 55,025 in 2022.

The College Board, in charting rate of change, showed that Illinois is up 12.1 percentage points over the past 10 years. Only Louisiana, up 15.8 percentage points, and Rhode Island, up 12.3 points, were higher among states.

However, Illinois’ overall participation by the Class of 2022 – 41% – was the highest of the three.

Illinois’ 41% participation is seventh in overall rankings; only Washington, D.C., Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland were higher.

Illinois also showed an increase in the number of students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams. It went from 26,329 students in 2012 to 36,240 in 2022.

“Broadening the invitation to AP courses has a powerful impact on students’ college plans and career ambitions,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president for AP and instruction. “Illinois’ success in preparing students for AP will have lasting benefits for students and their families.”

In the Sauk Valley

The opportunity is felt at the local level.

At Sterling High School, for example, more than 30% of the 2022 senior class took at least one AP exam, according to a survey of state districts by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The 2022 survey did not indicate ranges higher than 30%.

According to the curriculum page at the Sterling Public Schools website, the district offers AP courses in chemistry, English language and composition, and English literature and composition.

The 2022 survey also showed that Dixon High School’s participation was between 20% and 29%, and Rock Falls High School’s was between 10% and 19%.

According to the ISBE survey, 13 schools in Lee, Ogle, Whiteside and Carroll counties reported that at least 10% of their seniors participated in AP.

Most popular AP programs

According to the College Board, the most popular exam taken by Illinois students in the Class of 2022 was English language and composition. There were 23,826 exams in that subject, and 57.7% of students scored 3 or higher.

Other popular exams were U.S. history, psychology, U.S. government and politics, and English literature and composition.

Dual-credit programs

The number of high school students taking dual-credit courses also increased, from 61,400 in 2018 to 90,000 in 2022, ISBE said.

Sauk Valley Community College is among the schools offering dual credit. According to its website, it works with 12 public and private schools and the Whiteside Area Career Center to provide course selections that are specific to each school’s needs.

For example, SVCC’s spring offerings for Sterling High School included media arts, digital photography, motion graphics, trigonometry and arc welding, while for Dixon High School it was computer education, English composition, introduction to psychology and welding fundamentals.

Cost savings

Scoring 3 or higher on an AP exam is significant in Illinois because it qualifies for free college credit at all state public colleges and universities.

In 2022, public and private high school students earned 137,446 qualifying scores, translating into 412,338 potential college credits.

Presuming a credit hour of college costs $498, ISBE said the savings in tuition and fees are more than $205 million.

Gov. JB Pritzker said the numbers show why expanding access to AP programs for low-income students – such as through reduced exam costs – is important.

“Through these investments, more Illinois students than ever before have the opportunity to save thousands of dollars in tuition costs as they further their education,” Pritzker said. “It’s clear so many of our bright and talented young people are working hard to take advantage of those opportunities that will continue to benefit them after graduation.”

Expanding access

According to ISBE, 40 institutions were granted AP computer science access and awards for female diversity in 2021-22.

The University of Illinois said it is starting AP Summer Institutes for Humanities courses so it can increase AP exam participation in central and southern Illinois.