Maryland remains No. 1 in the nation in AP

For the eighth year in a row, Maryland is No. 1 in the nation in the percentage of graduates who have passed at least one Advanced Placement exam, according to a report released Tuesday by the College Board.

The percentage of Maryland graduates in 2013 who succeeded on the exam rose to 29.6 percent, up from 28.1 percent the previous year.

Maryland’s No. 1 ranking comes in part because so many students take the courses and exams. Nearly half of all Maryland graduates are taking the exams — about 47 percent. Far more than half of graduates will have taken a class, though about 20 percent take the courses and never sit for the exams.

Although participation and access to the classes is high in the state, many students will not pass an exam and there is no research that suggests that students who do better on the exams will perform better in their freshman year of college. A Baltimore Sun analysis last year showed that in some schools around the state, the majority of students who get As and Bs from their teachers in AP classes are then failing the exams.

African-Americans represent 36 percent of Maryland’s graduates in 2013, only 12 percent of the total who had passed at least one exam. And low-income students represented only 14 percent of the passers.

###

OPINION

We all must Realize there is no silver bullet. However, Real improvements in a school systems take time and hard work. Miraculous sudden improvements in student achievement after we complained and lobbied lawmakers in Maryland is likely the result of outright fraud or a rigged evaluation system designed to produce desired results. Even though there might be a high number of students taking AP classes as the article shows, very few students are passing the test. We truly believe the change in governance structure involving the Maryland State Board of Education to an elected one comprised of may be three appointed ones, is the answer to improvements within the system.