Giving Compass' Take:

• Amelia Harper reports on the ongoing debate about the value of AP courses in high school.  

• Are there better ways to measure student learning? How can colleges discourage the use of tests like AP exams?

• Find out why some are trying to use AP courses as a force for civil rights.

The number of students taking an AP exam has increased from 820,000 in 2001 to more than 2.6 million in 2017. However, only about 30% of black AP students pass the exams compared with 42% of Hispanic students and 64% of white students.

While some studies suggest that students who score well on AP exams perform better in college, there is almost no research indicating that AP courses are the cause of those increases; in fact, a study of Texas students indicated that students who took similarly hard classes in high school did just as well.

AP courses offer both advantages and disadvantages. One of the often-cited positives is that students who pass the exams may earn college credit. However, considering the pass rate of the exams, the college credit is not a given. In recent years, more pathways toward college credit have emerged. Some options, like dual enrollment courses and early college programs, don’t require the use of exams to gain college credit.

Read the full article about AP tests by Amelia Harper at Education Dive.