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The data from the College Board’s 10th Annual Advanced Placement Report to the Nation shows a steady increase in AP exam participation among California public high school students, with the state ranking sixth nationally in the quality of its scores.

In 2013, 40.6 percent of California’s public high school graduates took at least one AP exam before graduation, compared with 25.3 percent 10 years before.

Though AP participation among LAUSD students also increased over the same period, a little under 18 percent of district high school students were enrolled in an AP course last academic year, according to district figures.

The number of California graduates from low-income backgrounds taking an AP exam also increased, tripling over the past decade according to the College Board’s California supplement. Among African American and Latino students the increases were .5 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, while participation among white students decreased by 8.4 percentage points in the 10 years.

The AP report still reflects demographic disparities in the quality of the scores. Among Latino and white students, 35.2 and 31.5 percent of students, respectively, graduated from high school with a passing grade on an AP exam. Among African American students, only 2.4 percent graduated with a passing grade.

In California, 29 school districts were cited by the College Board’s AP Honor Roll, which recognizes districts that increased both AP exam participation and the percentage of students scoring passing grades. LAUSD was not among them.

Previous Posts: LA Unified Sees Big Rise in AP Enrollment and Exams; State To Defray Costs of Test Fees for Low-Income Students