HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—For the first time ever, Connecticut has ranked best in the nation on student performance of Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, according to a CollegeBoard report.
The AP Cohort Data Report shows 34.5% of 2020 Connecticut high school graduates earned a score of 3 or more on an AP Exam.
Connecticut is followed by Florida at 34.2% and Massachusetts at 34%. The national average is 24.4%.
According to state officials, Connecticut saw noticeable increases of AP Exam participation and performance among students from low-income families as well as Black and Hispanic students in the class of 2020.
"The total number of the state's graduating class who took an AP Exam in high school increased by over 5% in the last five years," state officials said in a statement.
Governor Ned Lamont applauded Connecticut's education system for the efforts that lead to the success of the state's students, including teachers, faculty, staff, volunteers and parents.
Lamont also noted that Connecticut's nationwide lead has an impact on the state's economy.
"These kinds of reports, which show our state leading the nation, have an impact on our overall economic competitiveness because we can show our business leaders who are looking to hire a workforce that this is the place they need to be," Lamont said.
The State Department of Education plans to continue its practice of fully covering AP Exam fees for low-income families to improve access to educational opportunities for underrepresented student populations. The department has followed that practice for seven years.
According to the report, the number of U.S. public high school graduates that took at least one AP exam increased from 27.1% in 2010 to 38.3% in 2020.
