Illinois leads nation in AP exam performance and participation growth, outperforming pre-pandemic years

According to an article from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), “Illinois students’ performance and participation on Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams not only continues to rebound from the pandemic, but has outpaced all other states in the nation.” Below are more highlights.

• Between 2012 and 2022, Illinois had the largest increase of any state in its percentage of high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, according to data released by College Board. Among the class of 2022, more than one in four Illinois public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam, which qualifies for free college credit at all public colleges and universities in Illinois.
  
  
• The number of public high school graduates in Illinois who took an AP exam during high school has increased by 42 percent during the last decade, compared to a 14-percent increase nationwide.
  
  
• The number of Illinois high school students taking dual-credit courses has increased by 30 percent since 2018 – from about 61,500 in 2018 to about 90,000 in 2022. 

These opportunities allow students to earn college credit while in high school. In District 88, students save an average of $1 million in college tuition each year by taking AP exams and dual-credit courses.

To read the full article, go to https://www.isbe.net/Lists/News/NewsDisplay.aspx?ID=1448.