More students getting ahead with AP classes

Her senior year included Advanced Placement classes in government, literature, physics and calculus, all of which are college-level courses that may translate into college credit if she scores high enough on an exam.

She completed five AP classes in her sophomore and junior years, too.

With about 1.6 million high school teens taking such exams last year, Nematollahi is part of a growing trend of students pushing themselves harder, earlier, to bank college credit, often before they ever even settle on a campus.

In Arizona last year, 10,500 students sat for exams, fully double the number in 2003. The number has grown even faster nationally, with 25 percent of public high school students taking at least one AP exam, compared with 14 percent in Arizona.

In the Tucson Unified School District, 750 students took at least one Advanced Placement test in 1997-98. A decade later, 1,200 students took at least one test. In the Flowing Wells Unified School District, 330 students are enrolled in nine AP classes this year — compared with 65 students in three AP classes three years ago.

Students who take the advanced coursework are more likely to graduate in four years, officials say. The early work also could cut down on expenses — in-state students at the University of Arizona pay about $12,418 a year for tuition and board.

Nematollahi, who will attend the UA as a pre-physiology major, said college credit was part of her motivation. She said that if she's freed up from some foundational courses, she might explore a double major or take classes she's more interested in.

But there was another reason she pushed herself, even though the first course she took came as an awakening. For the first time, she found herself threatened with a B.

"I really felt that school is there for us to learn, and I felt that the learning would be more complete," she said. "And since it forces you to have discipline and set goals, I just felt those experiences would shape me for college."

Brian Koppy, who teaches both Advanced Placement and regular government classes at Tucson High, sees a big difference between the two.

"I hate to use the phrase 'watered-down' when we're talking about the regular government curriculum, but it really is more about the application of government versus the more comprehensive, in-depth approach that's taken in an AP class."

When his regular government students leave his class, he said, they'll understand the role of voters, their rights if they're stopped by police, the function of the courts and why taxes are assessed.

His AP students, on the other hand, listen to National Public Radio, tune in to political debates and share Newsweek articles that caught their notice, he said. Those students learn from a different and more sophisticated textbook.

And instead of just learning about the Federalist Papers in principle, they read them, dense language and all.

Downstairs, students in Christopher Goldsmith's AP literature class agreed that while college credit was important, they were in there for the challenge that trades vocabulary lists for high-end discussions.

Senior Alice Glasser is taking four AP courses this year. She said that while the college credit was a draw, she found out she liked having more demanded of her.

"I feel like even if I end up repeating the class in college, I'll just have that much more knowledge to build off of. And it will make my transition to college easier," the 18-year-old said.

In 2007, 62 percent of incoming UA freshmen reported Advanced Placement coursework or took dual-enrollment classes that provide college credit.

UA students are graduating more quickly, said Rick Kroc, the institution's chief data officer. In 1990, the four-year graduation rate stood at 18 percent; now it's 34 percent. "I believe this is partly due to the increased numbers of hours students are bringing to UA from both dual enrollment and AP credits," he said.

AP scores aren't the strongest predictor of college success. Paul R. Kohn, the dean of admissions at the UA, said the best indicators are high school grades and scores on exams such as the SAT. Still, they are a reliable measurement, he said.

"The biggest reason students don't do well in college is that they're underprepared," he said. The pace, pressure and enrichment offered by the advanced coursework, he said, helps them develop a stronger core of knowledge along with solid work habits. And that's taken into account when they apply.

"We'll acknowledge that harder work in our admissions decisions, in the scholarships we award and maybe even in the class placements they'll get."

If students are feeling a need to take the courses, schools are feeling pressured to offer them.

Despite its relatively small size of 490 students in grades six through 12, Pusch Ridge Christian Academy has AP courses in English, U.S. history, chemistry and government. "To be competitive with other schools, it's very important that we offer these classes," guidance counselor Teri Rohne said.

Lourdes Rios, the AP coordinator for Tucson High, said she uses the courses as a recruiting tool to highlight the school's college preparatory thread, combined with its fine arts and science programs.

Flowing Wells Superintendent Nicholas Clement, too, said his district worked to build up the AP program, even though smaller class sizes and higher teacher training costs make the courses pricier for districts. And after grants funded more study time after school, all 14 of the students in the the AP calculus class last year received a grade high enough to get college credit.

"It has to do with raising expectations while providing quality instruction," Clement said. "You can't just do one without the other."

Advanced Placement testing in Arizona

Subject Number of exams taken Number of scores 3 or higher*

U.S. history 4,332 1,904

English language 3,913 2,094

English literature 3,401 1,843

U.S. government/politics 3,218 1,553

Calculus 2,073 1,103

Spanish 1,328 868

Biology 1,175 554

Chemistry 1,064 585

Calculus BC** 877 651

Psychology 850 597

*College standards vary, but a score of at least a 3 is generally needed to earn college credit.

**Calculus BC is a higher difficulty level than the other version.

Sources: 2008 Arizona AP exams, College Board, the Fifth Annual AP Report to the Nation