The number of Colorado’s black and Latino students taking high school-based college-level Advanced Placement exams has more than doubled in the past five years, reflecting the state’s push to open elite courses to all students.
For all students, the state saw a nearly 87 percent jump in participation in Advanced Placement exams ranging from Spanish literature to biology, compared with a 67 percent increase across the nation. Students take the exams after completing Advanced Placement courses, which are college-level classes offered to high school students in 37 subjects. Not all students who enroll in the courses take the exams.
The findings were released Tuesday in a report by the not- for-profit College Board, which oversees the AP program.
Educators say the jump in minority participation in Colorado reflects a movement toward inclusion.
“We’re trying to take down the barriers,” said Gary Gabel, an AP administrator at Smoky Hill High School in the Cherry Creek School District. “Our district is really making an emphasis to have access to AP. We really try to include any kid that has a desire to be successful.”
Still, the report found that minority students are not getting the full benefit of the program. “In Colorado in particular, we see underrepresentation of Hispanic students,” said Trevor Packer, executive director of the AP program at the College Board.
Only 9.9 percent of Colorado’s AP exam-takers are Latino, although Latinos represent about 17 percent of the student population. Nationwide, 14 percent of examinees are Latino, and Latinos represent the same percentage of the nation’s students.
Tough courses need support
Any high school can start an AP course, but minority students often attend urban schools that have not built an “adequate curriculum” to support an AP program, Packer said.
At Montbello High School, which serves a predominantly black and Latino population, any student can enroll in an AP course, said John Rocheleau, who teaches AP calculus.
But for many, even normally high achievers, the rigor can be a shock. “Reality slaps them in the face,” Rocheleau said.
Keymo Harden, 17, a Montbello senior, said he took AP calculus, studio arts and literature because he likes a challenge.
Calculus has been tough, he said. “I actually asked questions” in class, Keymo said. “I normally don’t ask questions.”
Students can take an exam at the end of a course and get a grade ranging from 1 to 5. Most strive for at least a 3, which can lead to college credit.
While Rocheleau encourages students to enroll, he said that no student in four years has gotten a 3 in the AP calculus exam.
Despite this, Rocheleau said, he believes the exposure to college material prepares them for higher education.
Prerequisite: “Park the ego”
Terry Elliott, an assistant principal who oversees AP at D’Evelyn Junior/ Senior High School in Jefferson County, said all students can take AP courses, though there are some prerequisites for chemistry and physics. At the predominantly white school, at least 25 percent of the 600 students take AP courses, he said.
He said most students come from homes where both parents attended college. “That puts an expectation (on students) that doesn’t occur in a house where that hasn’t happened,” he said.
Richard Schwenz, a University of Northern Colorado professor who oversees an AP teacher training institute, sees another benefit. “If you’re a high school student that has taken an AP class, the chance of your graduating from college doubles,” Schwenz said.
The report offered other good news. Colorado ranked 10th in its percentage of graduating seniors scoring at least a 3 on an AP exam during high school.
For those considering AP courses, Rocheleau offers some advice. “Park the ego. Be ready to do a lot of reading (and) a lot of work on your own schedule,” he said. “You have to be mature enough to come in and ask questions when you don’t know what’s going on.”
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
