Florida earns 3rd-place ranking for AP-exam scores

Florida’s 2014 high-school graduates earned their state a third-place ranking — and helped it beat out Massachusetts for the first time — with their success on Advanced Placement exams, recent data from the College Board show.

Thirty percent of 2014 graduates in Florida left high school having passed at least one AP exam.

That was a Florida record, tied the Sunshine State with Virginia and put it behind only Maryland (No. 1) and Connecticut (No. 2), which were at 31.8 percent and 30.8 percent, respectively. The national average for success on at least one AP exam was 21.6 percent.

AP courses aim to mimic first-year college courses, and students who earn at least a 3 on the five-level exams can earn college credit. The courses are offered in a range of subjects, such as chemistry, English literature and U.S. history.

Florida has been pushing schools to offer more AP classes for more than a decade. And the state has been a national leader in the percentage of its students who tackle — and pass — the tough exams.

More than 57 percent of Florida’s 2014 graduates took an AP test — up from 27.8 percent in 2004 — but many students did not earn passing scores. AP advocates say there is a benefit to trying the rigorous classes and tests, as it gives students a taste of college-level work.

The new report also shows that, despite improvements, Florida’s black students and its students from low-income families remain underrepresented among test takers and also among test passers. Hispanic students are underrepresented among test passers but not among those trying an exam.