Florida continues to be a leader in both performance and progress on college-caliber Advanced Placement exams.
The state ranked No. 5 in the nation last year in the percentage of high school graduates who passed at least one Advanced Placement exam, according to a College Board report released Tuesday.
With a rate of 27.3 percent, the Sunshine State was behind only Maryland (29.6 percent), Connecticut (28.8 percent), Virginia (28.3 percent) and Massachusetts (27.9 percent). The national average was 20.1 percent. Florida ranked No. 4 last year.
Florida has the highest rate of low-income students of any state in the Top 10, at 56 percent. It also has the biggest differential between its AP performance rank and its rank in percentage of students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch. In FRL rates, Maryland is No. 17; Connecticut, No. 5; Virginia, No. 7; Massachusetts, No. 4; and Florida, No. 43.
In terms of AP progress, Florida again ranked No. 2, with a 12 percentage point increase between 2003 and 2013. Connecticut was No. 1, with Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts rounding out the Top 5.
The report shows 41,149 Florida graduates passed at least one AP exam in 2013, up from 39,306 in 2012 and 28,667 in 2008.
Among Florida’s low-income graduates, 12,774 passed at least one AP exam in 2013, up from 10,897 in 2012, a 17.2 percent increase.
The College Board also singled out the Miami-Dade County school district for its performance and progress on AP, awarding it the AP District of the Year award for large districts.
Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart praised the results in this written statement. Former Gov. Jeb Bush did so here.
Other state coverage: Orlandol Sentinel, Associated Press, Gradebook, Bridge to Tomorrow.
National coverage: Associated Press, Hechinger Report, Washington Post.
