Utah students make gains in AP pass rates in 2011

By Mark Peterson, on September 14th, 2011

September 14, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Mark Peterson, public relations director
(801) 538-7635 ∙ mark.peterson@schools.utah.gov

Utah Students Make Gains in AP Pass Rates in 2011

SALT LAKE CITY – A total of 18,508 Utah students (more than 1,000 additional students than in 2010 and 94 percent of them from public schools) took 29,851 Advance Placement (AP) exams in 2011 and passed them at a rate of 68 percent, according to data released today by the College Board, creators of the AP exams. This represents a 7.5 percent increase in AP participation in Utah and an increase of 1 percent in passage rates. Utah students substantially outperformed their national peers, who passed the exams at a rate of 58 percent, the same rate as the previous year, College Board data showed. Passing AP tests means the student scored a 3, 4 or 5 on the test, thus earning college credit.

Participation in AP exams in 2011 was up across all ethnic and racial lines in Utah.

“It is gratifying to see more Utah students better prepare themselves for college by taking these courses, and it is heartening to see their work and the work of their teachers pay off with above average passing rates,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry K. Shumway. “We’re also pleased to see more minority students taking advantage of AP courses and doing well in them.”

The College Board today also released data on 2011 Utah student performance on the SAT college entrance exam. A total of 2,124 Utah students (61 percent of them from public schools) took the SAT and scored a mean score of 563 on reading (a five point decrease from 2010), 559 on math (no change from 2010) and 545 on writing (a two point decrease). National mean scores were 497 in reading, 514 in math and 489 in writing. Relatively few Utah students sit for the SAT exam, opting instead for the ACT exam which is used by all Utah public colleges and universities. Many Utah students who take the SAT intend to attend college on either the east or west coast.

For more information on AP and SAT scores, please visit website to be filled in later.

www.schools.utah.gov

Top 10 Utah Public High Schools AP Participation
School	Test Takers
Davis High School, Kaysville	741
Alta High School, Sandy	667
Skyline High School, Holladay	592
Park City High School, Park City	539
Hillcrest High School, Midvale	527
Lone Peak High School, Highland	522
Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights	483
Woods Cross High School, Woods Cross	408
Highland High School, Salt Lake City	389
Pleasant Grove High School, Pleasant Grove	364

Top 10 Utah Public High Schools AP Passing Rate
School	% Tests 3, 4 or 5
Green River High School, Green River	100
Ogden Preparatory Academy, Ogden	100
Davis High School, Kaysville	85.0
Intech Collegiate High School, North Logan	83.0
Park City High School, Park City	80.9
Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights	80.3
Bountiful High School, Bountiful	79.9
American Fork High School, American Fork	79.2
Olympus High School, Holladay	79.2
Mountain View High School, Orem	78.6

Top 10 Utah Public High Schools SAT Participation
School	Test Takers
West High School, Salt Lake City	113
Skyline High School, Holladay	105
Park City High School, Park City	95
Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights	63
Davis High School, Kaysville	41
Alta High School, Cottonwood Heights	38
East High School, Salt Lake City	37
American Fork High School, American Fork	36
Olympus High School, Holladay	36

Top 10 Utah Public High Schools SAT Total Average Mean Score
School	Score
Payson High School, Payson	2,032
AMES, Holladay	1,948
Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon	1,915
Hillcrest High School, Midvale	1,906
Davis High School, Kaysville	1.862
West High School, Salt Lake City	1,860
Logan High School, Logan	1,855
Wasatch High School, Heber City	1,855
Pleasant Grove High School, Pleasant Grove	1,852
Desert Hills High School, St. George	1,810