Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

August 30, 2005

Advanced Placement Classes Continue Rapid
Growth in Popularity; SAT Score Rises Again

The popularity of Advanced Placement classes in Missouri high schools continues to grow at a steady clip, maintaining the strong positive trend of recent years.

According to statistics released today by The College Board and state education officials, 10,467 members of the Class of 2005 in Missouri took at least one "AP" class, an increase of 9.6% over 2004.

Students may take multiple AP courses and exams, and the total number of tests taken in Missouri is growing as well. This year, the total number of AP exams in Missouri increased to 18,407 – an increase of more than 13%.

Participation in the AP program by Missouri students has been growing at an average of about 10% to 15% per year for the last five years or more.

The Advanced Placement program allows students in participating high schools (public and private) to take college-level courses. Students receive credit toward their high school diplomas, and many college and universities will grant advance credit based on a student’s AP exam scores.

Currently, AP exams are available in 34 different subjects, ranging from art history to physics. At the end of the year, students may take an exam, published by The College Board, related to each course. The same exam is given nationwide, and there is a fee for each test.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education encourages public schools to offer Advanced Placement courses and other advanced-study options through its accreditation standards for local school districts.

State SAT Average Rises Again

Missouri’s Class of 2005 also posted higher scores on both the verbal and math portions of the SAT college-entry exam compared to last year and continued to score well above national averages.

Missouri students made a composite average score of 1,176 on the SAT this year (588 on the verbal portion and 588 on the math portion combined). This reflects a gain of one point on the verbal section and three points on the math section.

The national average composite score was 1,028. The national average did not change on the verbal portion this year (508) and increased by two points on the math section (520). A perfect score on the SAT is 1,600.

Nationally, 49% of college-bound seniors take the SAT exam. In Missouri, however, only seven percent of college-bound students in public and private high schools take the SAT.

The College Board, based in New York City, administers both the SAT and AP tests.