Conard and Hall High School's 2015 AP Exam Results

Connecticut public school students improved performance and increased participation on Advanced Placement exams, State Education officials announced recently.

AP programs provide students with the opportunity to experience college-level material and earn college credit in the process. Typically, students who score 3 or higher on an AP exam receive better grades, assume larger course loads, and graduate at higher rates from college.

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Statewide, 26,789 students (a 5.7 percent increase over 2014) took 48,559 AP tests (a 6.4 percent increase over 2014). Sixty-eight percent of the tests administered (33,245 tests) received a score of 3 or higher, representing a 2.6 percent increase over last year.

At Conard High School, 607 students took the AP test, 1,253 tests were taken overall and 870 exams scored in the 3-5 range.

At Hall High School, 533 students took the AP test, 1,037 tests were taken overall and 784 exams scored in the 3-5 range.

Statewide students of color, a traditionally under-represented student population, posted gains in participation: 5.7 percent more black students took an AP exam; 3.7 percent more Hispanic students took an AP exam, according to state education officials.

In an effort to improve access and remove barriers for participation for under-represented student populations, for the second year the State Department of Education paid the remainder of fees not covered by the College Board and the U.S. Department of Education for low-income students to take AP exams in spring of 2015. Provided the funding remains intact, the Department intends to continue to cover this cost.