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Classroom Context: AP Access and Coursetaking

In 2010, the average NAEP U.S. history score for twelfth-graders who reported that they were either currently enrolled in or had taken an Advanced Placement (AP) course in U.S. history was 304, which was higher than the score of 284 for students who reported not taking the course. Results from the 2009 NAEP High School Transcript Study (HSTS) provide information on the extent to which students have access to an AP U.S. history course in their school and the proportion of students who complete the course. As part of the HSTS, transcripts from a representative sample of America’s public and private high school graduates are collected and analyzed to provide information about recent high school graduates. For nearly two decades, the study has informed the public about the type of courses graduates take, the number of credits they earn, and the grade point averages they receive. Results from the 2009 HSTS are based on a nationally representative sample of around 38,000 transcripts that represents approximately 3 million high school graduates from the “Class of 2009.”

For this analysis, graduates were considered to have access to an AP U.S. history course if at least one student in the school took the course or the course was listed in the school catalogue or course list. Differences in students’ access may be attributed to a number of factors, such as school enrollment.

Access
Coursetaking

In 2009, differences in access were evident for graduates in schools located in large cities (cities with populations of 250,000 or more) compared with those in other locations (such as suburban or rural). A higher percentage of graduates in large city schools than in other locations had access to an AP U.S. history course.

Percentage of high school graduates who had access to an Advanced Placement (AP) course in U.S. history, by type of school location: 1990 and 2009

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2009.
NOTE: Large cities are defined as those cities with a population of 250,000 or more. Other school locations include suburb, town, and rural locations. Comparisons to 1990 and by more specific types of location were not possible because of changes in how school locations were classified.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Study (HSTS), 2000 and 2009.

See complete data (14KB XLS). Browse questionnaires for the NAEP assessments.