{"id":1525,"date":"2014-10-07T15:22:11","date_gmt":"2014-10-07T19:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msde\/?p=1525"},"modified":"2015-12-15T15:27:50","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T20:27:50","slug":"maryland-ap-participation-achievement-leads-all-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msde\/maryland-ap-participation-achievement-leads-all-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland AP Participation, Achievement Leads All States"},"content":{"rendered":"

State SAT Participation Continues To Rise; Act Scores, Participation Improves<\/em><\/h3>\n

For Immediate Release \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Contact: Bill Reinhard, 410.767.0486<\/p>\n

Maryland students\u2014who have led the nation in AP success for eight years\u2014recorded more improvement in both Advanced Placement (AP) assessment participation and success in 2014, according to newly released data.<\/p>\n

In data released today, Maryland ranks first in the nation among the percentage of public high school juniors and seniors to score a three or higher\u201422.0 percent.\u00a0 The national average is 13.2 percent.\u00a0 Maryland also ranks first among states in the percentage of public high school 11th and 12th graders who took an AP exam: 35.2 percent.\u00a0 Only Washington, DC, ranked higher at 38.6 percent.<\/p>\n

Hitting a score of 3-5 qualifies students to receive credit at many colleges and universities. The data was released today by the College Board, which administers AP and other national programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere in Maryland, we’ve made the better choice to set a goal to improve student achievement and college readiness by 25 percent by the end of 2015– today’s announcement is further proof that our students are achieving results,\u201d said Governor Martin O\u2019Malley. “Congratulations to our students and educators on this terrific achievement. Thanks to their hard work, Maryland students are better prepared for successful college careers, building a stronger future for our State, and leading the nation in winning the new economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 66,000 Maryland students took at least one AP test last year, an increase of 1.5 percent over 2013, and the number of exams taken jumped 1.1 percent to 124,096.\u00a0 Even with of the increase in participation, the number of student test scores in the high-achieving ranges of 3-5 increased by 1.9 percent to 76,956.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Maryland student should have access to college-level coursework, and Advanced Placement is one way to provide high-quality preparation for postsecondary education and career-training after high school,\u201d said State Superintendent of Schools Lillian M. Lowery.\u00a0 \u201cIt is inspiring to see Maryland students taking on the challenge of AP coursework and succeeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maryland is committed to expanding access to challenging coursework for students throughout the State.\u00a0 AP participation is up across racial subgroups.\u00a0 African American students tallied a 10 percent increase in participation, and Hispanic student participation also jumped 10 percent in just one year.<\/p>\n

Maryland has ranked first in the College Board\u2019s annual \u201cAP Report to the Nation\u201d for the past eight years.\u00a0 College Board officials said they will release 2014 rankings early in 2015.<\/p>\n

SAT Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scores on the SAT exam declined, as participation increased dramatically.\u00a0 Participation in the SAT surged 3.2 percent from 2013 to 2014, as nearly 50,000 students (49,665) took the test in Maryland last year.\u00a0 The State has been working to increase participation of underrepresented minority group students over the past five years, and that effort has paid off.\u00a0 There was a 4.9 percent increase in African American participation last year, and a 13.1 percent jump in Hispanic student participation.<\/p>\n

Maryland\u2019s composite SAT score fell 15 points to 1468 on the 2400-point scale.\u00a0 Maryland students scored a 492 in critical reading (down 5 points, compared to last year), 495 in mathematics (down 5 points), and 481 in writing (also down 5 points).<\/p>\n

ACT Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Maryland increased participation in SAT, the nation\u2019s other major college readiness exam\u2014the ACT\u2014also has seen a dramatic increase in student participation in the State.\u00a0 This year\u2019s ACT scores also took a leap forward.<\/p>\n

The number of Maryland seniors taking the ACT has increased dramatically over the past five years\u2014rising from 11,924 in 2010 to 14,080 last spring.\u00a0 In those five years, the number of African American students taking the tests has grown from 3,192 to 3,602, and the number of Hispanic students has increased from 639 to 1,084.<\/p>\n

According to recently released data, Maryland\u2019s ACT composite score rose to 22.6 out of a possible high score of 36 in 2014, compared to 22.3 in 2013, and Maryland student scores jumped in all four tested areas (English, math, reading, and science).<\/p>\n

At the same time, the national composite inched up from 20.9 to 21.0.\u00a0 Maryland students rank ahead of the national averages in all four testing categories.<\/p>\n

PSAT\/NMSQT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The College Board data release also looked at data from the PSAT\/NMSQT test, an assessment typically given to sophomores and juniors.\u00a0 Among the results:<\/p>\n