Stevenson Sees Record Participation in AP Exams

Stevenson High School's efforts to promote its Advanced Placement program are apparently paying off.

A total of 1,605 students took AP exams during a two-week testing period in May. The number, which represents 77 percent of the Class of 2010, was an "all-time high" for the school, District 125 spokesman Jim Conrey said.

Those students took a total of 3,772 tests -- another school record -- and earned an average of 3.88 on a five-point scale, according to results the school received over the summer.

Exam scores of 3 or higher are most likely to be accepted by colleges and universities around the country, giving college freshmen a jump start on college credits. Those students also are eligible for consideration in the AP Scholar recognition program.

Stevenson students took 30 different AP exams in 2010, and on 27 of those tests at least 80 percent of students earned a 3 or higher. The school's AP courses range from more traditional subjects such as English and calculus, to more specialized classes like macroeconomics and Latin: Vergil.

"We've had a movement to get kids involved in the AP program. It's growing a little bit every year," Conrey said. The 2010 record topped two previous records.  Exams were taken by 1,540 students in 2009, and a total of 3,601 tests were taken in 2008.

Stevenson aims to continue that upward swing in AP exams until 90 percent of seniors take at least one AP class, Conrey said. The school is looking into ways to motivate seniors, who are eligible for more elective courses, to take the more rigorous classes, he said.

Stevenson's AP participation is increasing even as the school's enrollment is declining. The SHS student body has declined by 228 students since reaching a peak of 4,573 in 2005-06, yet the number of students taking AP exams has risen by 177 during the same time period, according to the school.