Tag: College Board

New College Board Data Shows Louisiana’s Rapid Improvement in AP Exam Scores

Louisiana high school students have made significant gains in college-level academic performance, with new data showing the state recorded the nation’s largest increase in the percentage of Advanced Placement (AP) Exams earning qualifying scores since 2019, according to this news release from the Louisiana Department of Educaiton. .

According to results released by the College Board, Louisiana’s qualifying score rate climbed from 37.4% in 2019 to 69.1% in 2026, representing a 31.7-percentage-point increase. The improvement was more than twice the national rate of growth during the same period, bringing Louisiana within 2.2 percentage points of the national average.

The findings marked an important development for Louisiana’s public education system, particularly as schools continue working to strengthen college readiness and expand opportunities for students to earn college credit before graduation. In 2019, Louisiana’s qualifying AP score rate trailed the national average by 20.5 percentage points. Seven years later, that difference had narrowed to just 2.2 points, reflecting sustained improvement in exam performance.

The number of qualifying scores also increased substantially. Louisiana public school students earned 11,118 qualifying scores in 2019, compared with 21,383 in 2026. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley attributed the progress to the combined efforts of students, teachers, counselors, and school administrators. He emphasized that stronger AP Exam performance demonstrates students’ ability to meet college-level academic expectations while still enrolled in high school.

The improvement is particularly noteworthy because Advanced Placement courses require students to engage with challenging academic material and demonstrate their understanding through standardized examinations. Unlike traditional high school coursework, AP classes are designed around introductory college-level expectations, providing students with opportunities to develop analytical, research, writing, and problem-solving skills.

Louisiana’s latest results also demonstrated substantial year-over-year growth, with more students earning qualifying scores and a greater percentage achieving the highest possible exam ratings. In 2026, students earned 21,383 qualifying scores, an 8.8% increase from the 19,653 recorded in 2025. The percentage of exams receiving a qualifying score increased from 63% in 2025 to 69.1% in 2026, representing a 6.1-percentage-point improvement. Additionally, 13,244 Louisiana students earned a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, an increase of 6.3% from the previous year.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson credited Louisiana educators’ continued refinement of instructional practices for the improvement. She also highlighted the potential financial and academic benefits of earning college credit before high school graduation.

Administered by the College Board, the AP Exam Program allows high school students to complete college-level coursework across numerous academic disciplines. Available subjects include English, mathematics, science, history, social studies, world languages, computer science, and the arts. At the conclusion of an AP course, students may take a standardized examination scored on a five-point scale. Scores of 3, 4, or 5 are generally considered qualifying results, although individual colleges and universities establish their own AP credit and placement policies.

Students who earn qualifying scores may receive college credit, satisfy introductory course requirements, or qualify for placement into more advanced coursework, depending on the institution. These opportunities can potentially reduce the number of courses students must complete after entering college, offering greater flexibility in their academic schedules and potentially lowering educational expenses.

The Louisiana Department of Education is expected to release school-system and individual-school AP results later in 2026, offering a more detailed picture of performance across the state.

For Louisiana educators and institutions, the results underscore the importance of rigorous academic opportunities, effective instruction, and access to advanced coursework. As Louisiana approaches the national qualifying score average, continued attention to AP participation and performance will remain important in evaluating how effectively high schools prepare students for postsecondary education.

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At-Home SAT to be Offered by College Board

According to an article from the U.S. News and World Report, students will be able to take their SAT test at home if school does not resume this coming fall.  This decision comes at a pivotal time for the administrators of these standardized tests, as they are currently attempting to remain “essential” as various educational institutions are turning away from the testing requirement previously needed for admission.

College Board officials announced in early April that they would be outlining a revamped timetable as well as a digital option for the college entrance exam.

College Board CEO David Coleman said in a recent press briefing, “We know students and educators are worried about how the coronavirus may disrupt the college admissions process, and we want to do all we can to help alleviate that anxiety during this very demanding time.  In the unfortunate and unlikely possibility that schools do not open this fall, the College Board will be ready to provide a digital SAT at home.”

Coleman went on to describe the scenario as “increasingly unlikely” and one that would mandate at-home proctoring the likes of which has never before been seen.  “We would much rather see schools reopen,” he said. “But we will be ready.”

Officials with College Board have relayed that they have been experimenting with various types of software for security which could, for example, restrict access to the entire computer with the exception of than the software that administers the test, as well as to be able to access the device’s microphone and camera to be able to monitor students for any interference that might affect the integrity of test results.  The organization drew parallels between a digital SAT administration to how they are currently allowing 3 million students to take versions of AP examinations while under stay-at-home orders.

Coleman was noted as saying, “If we are forced to deliver a digital SAT at home, we will double our efforts to confront the digital divide.”  He added that they are prepared to work with states and local school districts to be able to deliver technology or Wi-Fi hot spots to guarantee that any potential student that would like to sit for the SAT is able to do so from the comfort of their home.

If public health officials give the all clear, the College Board intends to offer weekend SAT administrations every month through the 2020 calendar year, beginning in August. Students will be able to register in May for the August through October testings, and priority will be given to students expected to graduate in 2021 who have not yet sat for the SAT.

Ronald Ehrenberg, a professor at Cornell University and the director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute stated, “The uncertainty caused by the pandemic and the announcement that the College Board has temporarily suspended the administration of the SAT as it seeks ‘an at-home style solution’ will most certainly continue the trend towards placing less weight on standardized tests.”

College Board officials said that, with the unprecedented nature of the ongoing pandemic, they are sympathetic to the various college and university admissions departments decisions to offer flexibility to students when it comes to submitting an SAT score or not; however, they have been critical of this in the past.

Coleman of the College Board further states, “We support colleges and our members totally in whatever flexibilities they adopt in these very challenging times.  This virus hits students very differently depending on their circumstances.  There has never been an event that I can recall that’s laid bare the division and inequalities in our society.”

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