More minorities taking AP and honors classes

Over half of all black and Latino students in MCPS enrolled in honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses last year, a four-percent increase from the previous school year.

At Blair, 46 percent of black students enrolled in at least one honors or AP course last year, up from 43 percent during the 2004-2005 school year. Latino enrollment in honors and AP courses also increased from 35 percent to 40 percent.

General enrollment in honors and AP courses throughout the county also climbed last year to 70 percent.

In Montgomery County, 79 percent of all students who took AP exams in 2005 scored a 3 or higher, but the passing rate for blacks remained the lowest of all racial groups, with 57 percent. Only eight of the 345 students who took five or more AP exams in May 2005 were black.

Kate Harrison, MCPS assistant director of public information, said this rise in minority enrollment in AP and honors courses can be attributed to after-school support and tutoring programs. "We're really trying to help these students realize what they're capable of accomplishing," she said.
The rate of minority enrollment in AP courses at Blair is still lower than the rate countywide.

To encourage higher honors and AP enrollment, Blair has been administering the PSAT to all students. When students' score reports have been tabulated, the administration reviews the scores to identify students who appear capable of succeeding in higher-level courses, according to the MCPS web site.
The College Board, the company that makes AP exams, noted in its 2006 AP Report to the Nation that Maryland was one of three states in which a majority of Latinos were enrolled in AP courses but remains 19 percentage points away from doing the same with black students.