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Curator: Rose Kaspersen
Rose.Kaspersen@fcps.edu

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Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Number of AP Exams Rises Again in FCPS While Achievement Increases

Students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are taking greater numbers of Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, taking AP classes and exams earlier in their high school careers, and increasing overall achievement by posting higher scores on exams, according to data just released by FCPS Superintendent Jack D. Dale. As reported by the College Board, the total number of AP exams taken by all FCPS students in 2005 increased by 9 percent. In 2005, 23,573 exams were administered to FCPS students, up from 21,213 in 2004 (see Attachment 1). Along with the increase in the number of tests taken is a boom in the number of scores of three or above, to 15,809, in 2005, up from 14,190 in 2004 (see Attachment 1).

“The 2005 Advanced Placement test results are proof that Fairfax County Public Schools continues to raise the bar for students, challenging them throughout high school, and that students are responding by meeting that challenge in greater numbers,” said Dale. “A 10 percent increase in the number of AP exams taken in FCPS was noted across all minority groups, grade levels, and genders. The increased participation, matched with the historically higher number of students scoring at or above 3 across all ethnic groups and genders, demonstrates the tremendous achievement and success of the Advanced Placement program in Fairfax County Public Schools. I applaud the students of Fairfax County.”

The number of twelfth grade students taking the AP exams increased 7 percent from 4,458 in 2004 to 4,812 in 2005. The number of eleventh grade students taking the exams increased 9 percent from 3,907 in 2004 to 4,298 in 2005, while the number of ninth and tenth grade exam takers showed the largest increase with a 17 percent increase from 1,714 in 2004 to 2,064 in 2005. Figures for 2005 show 59 percent of students tested reported themselves to be in a grade other than twelfth, compared to 58 percent in 2004 and 52 percent in 2003 (see Attachment 2).

“The significant rise in participation for all groups of students speaks positively toward the goal of expanding access to all our students,” added Dale. The number of Asian students increased 15 percent from 2,130 to 2,502; the number of Hispanic students experienced the largest increase of 20 percent from 588 to 733; the number of Black students increased 14 percent from 411 to 478; and the number of White students increased 4 percent from 6,635 in 2004 to 6,877 in 2005 (see Attachment 3).

The numbers of exams taken by Asian students rose from 4,657 in 2004 to 5,653 in 2005; the number of exams taken by Hispanic students increased from 1,004 to 1,278; Black students took 833 tests in 2005, up from 706 in 2004; and the number of tests taken by White students totaled 13,742, up from 13,222 in 2005. Asian students’ average scores rose from 3.01 to 3.04. The mean scores for Hispanic students declined from 3.08 to 2.93, Black students demonstrated a slight decrease in average exam scores from 2.52 in 2004 to 2.50 in 2005, and White student performance rose to 3.26 in 2005 compared to 3.21 in 2004 (see Attachment 1).

In subject areas in which at least 200 exams were taken, hefty gains were made by students scoring three or above in Physics B (14 percent), Math Calculus BC (10 percent), Math Calculus AB (9 percent), and Biology (8 percent) (see Attachment 4).

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Note: For more information, contact Ray Diroll, director, FCPS Office of Student Testing, at 703-208-7779.

Attachment 1

FCPS Results for All Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
Mean Score and Number of Tests Taken and
Percent and Number at or Above 3
2002 Through 2005

  Mean Score (MS) and Number (N) of Tests Taken Percent (%) and Number (N) at or Above 3
2002 2003 2004 2005 2002 2003 2004 2005
MS N MS N MS N MS N % N % N % N % N
Asian 2.95 4,187 2.96 4,491 3.01 4,657 3.04 5,653 60 2,507 60 2,693 61 2,846 62 3,514
Black 2.39 780 2.42 726 2.52 706 2.50 833 42 325 41 301 49 343 45 375
Hispanic 3.11 1,102 3.02 1,071 3.08 1,004 2.93 1,278 63 642 60 639 65 653 60 769
White 3.16 12,509 3.14 12,859 3.21 13,222 3.26 13,742 68 8,559 68 8,725 70 9,300 71 9,794
Other 2.93 1,114 2.86 1,016 3.08 1,080 3.13 1,347 60 666 57 581 65 697 67 902
Not Stated 2.96 634 3.08 467 3.10 473 2.98 652 62 390 66 307 67 315 63 412
 
Females 2.99 10,905 2.98 10,996 3.07 11,445 3.09 12,667 62 6,802 62 6,823 65 7,462 66 8,326
Males 3.15 9,331 3.14 9,693 3.20 9,768 3.20 10,906 67 6,287 67 6,455 69 6,728 69 7,483
 
Total 3.06 20,236 3.05 20,689 3.13 21,213 3.14 23,573 65 13,089 64 13,278 67 14,190 67 15,809

Attachment 2

FCPS Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
Number and Percent of Students
Tested by Grade Level
2002 Through 2005

Grade Level Number by Grade Level Percent by Grade Level
 2002  2003 2004 2005  2002  2003 2004 2005
 9 and 10 1,641 1,450 1,714 2,064 15.9 14.3 16.2 17.7
 11 3,735 3,565 3,907 4,298 36.2 35.1 37.0 36.9
 12 4,683 4,843 4,458 4,812 45.4 47.6 42.2 41.3
 Other 254 311 491 483 2.5 3.0 4.6 4.1
 All  Students 10,313 10,169 10,570 11,657 100 100 100 100

Attachment 3

FCPS Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
Number of Students Tested
by Ethnicity*
2002 Through 2005

Ethnicity Number of Students Tested
2002 2003 2004 2005
Asian 1,939 1,975 2,130 2,502
Black 434 404 411 478
Hispanic 598 622 588 733
White 6,456 6,428 6,635 6,877
Other 553 517 537 669
Total 9,980 9,946 10,570 11,657

*Numbers represent only those students who took the test and indicated their ethnicity.

Attachment 4

FCPS Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations by Subject
Mean Scores, Percent at or Above 3
and Number of Tests Taken*
2002 Through 2005

 Tests Mean Score Percent at or Above 3 Number of Tests Taken
2002 2003 2004 2005 2002 2003 2004 2005 2002 2003 2004 2005
English Language and Composition 3.07 3.07 3.23 3.05 68 70 73 67 1,656 1,627 2,223 2,654
English Literature and Composition 3.11 3.03 3.15 3.12 70 65 73 70 1,817 2,070 1,943 2,285
Math,
Calculus AB		 3.01 2.80 2.64 2.98 65 57 49 58 1,491 1,407 1,330 1,432
Math,
Calculus BC		 3.69 3.65 3.65 3.97 80 80 78 86 900 955 975 1,063
United States History 3.21 3.27 3.30 3.17 67 71 72 67 2,683 2,527 2,928 2,836
European History 3.04 3.25 3.25 3.34 71 75 75 77 306 301 212 258
Government
and Politics: United States		 2.92 2.95 3.02 3.02 61 60 64 63 2,997 3,096 2,945 3,305
Government and Politics: Comparative 3.20 2.67 3.30 3.03 73 57 79 70 229 267 227 412
Economics, Micro 3.74 3.66 3.56 3.34 88 78 83 83 34 41 36 65
Economics, Macro 4.03 3.81 3.31 3.62 94 78 76 80 34 37 32 61
Biology 3.13 3.14 3.26 3.54 62 60 66 74 919 967 887 796
Chemistry 3.04 3.18 3.26 3.34 62 67 66 72 662 483 521 594
Physics B 2.42 2.68 2.42 2.92 46 59 50 64 149 193 141 183
Physics C, Mechanics 2.92 3.27 3.05 3.09 56 68 51 61 365 350 332 402
Physics C, Electric and Magnetic 2.77 3.28 3.12 3.37 49 65 61 65 334 249 213 186
Psychology 3.51 3.12 3.36 3.21 73 62 71 68 1,008 1,039 1,205 1,571
Computer Science A 2.29 2.13 2.47 2.45 43 41 50 45 58 46 72 47
Computer Science AB 3.18 3.06 3.23 3.29 67 62 65 66 536 449 323 288
French Language 3.07 2.95 3.24 3.17 70 69 73 73 273 252 255 272
German Language 2.75 3.29 3.83 3.24 48 67 80 66 88 110 69 116
Latin, Vergil 2.26 2.21 2.73 2.92 43 39 48 64 70 38 91 25
Latin Literature 1.52 2.36 2.55 2.80 15 43 41 50 46 58 42 122
Spanish Language 3.79 3.81 3.63 3.52 85 84 82 78 555 694 629 703
Spanish Literature 3.34 3.07 3.05 3.10 77 64 67 67 65 108 113 111
Art: History 2.52 2.81 2.54 2.73 51 61 49 55 356 285 240 274
Art: Studio Drawing 3.14 2.96 3.04 3.29 79 57 69 72 71 56 89 103
Art: Studio General - - - - - - - - - - - -
Music Theory 3.29 3.11 3.13 2.74 80 67 64 50 152 153 193 197
Statistics 2.45 2.58 2.61 2.75 43 48 49 56 924 1,041 943 961
Studio Art: 2-D Design 2.79 2.75 2.76 2.99 62 52 57 68 52 91 72 91
Environmental Science 1.73 2.25 2.40 2.44 21 39 44 46 404 902 767 635
Human Geography 3.12 3.20 - 2.82 70 71 - 56 122 41 - 45
World History 3.17 3.30 3.26 3.28 73 77 75 74 853 725 1121 1,439
Total All Exams 3.06 3.05 3.13 3.14 65 64 67 67 20,236 20,689 21,213 23,573

*Summary data are not reported for groups fewer than 25.