AP Course Enrollment, Test Scores Up

More Upper Moreland High School students are getting an early job on their college studies – while still in high school. 

During the 2012-2013 school year the high school had a record number of students who took Advanced Placement courses. In all, 349 students were enrolled in the high school’s 15 different AP courses and a total of 177 took the AP tests, according to Superintendent Robert Milrod.

That’s almost a two-fold increase in course enrollment since 2006 when 180 took AP classes; and a three-fold boost in AP exam taking when 59 students took the exam during that school year.

“Our Advanced Placement test results are higher than they’ve ever been before,” Milrod told Patch. “They continue to go up year after year.”

On average, students who took the exam scored 3.68 out of a total score of 5 last school year. In 2006, Milrod said the average test score was 3.24.

Typically, “the more you enroll the more your scores go down,” Milrod said.

Scores of 3 to 5 are considered passing for the tests, which are scored from 1 to 5, he said. In all, 84 percent of students received a grade of 3, 4, or a 5, Milrod said.

The district reimburses students with passing scores, he said. In all, about $12,000 was earmarked for reimbursement funds, Milrod said.

“It’s an incentive to do well,” he said.

Scheduling is still being ironed out for the upcoming school year's AP courses, Milrod said, adding that he anticipates the same, or higher numbers of AP course enrollees. The most popular class is psychology, he said, adding that world languages, music theory and statistics are also popular courses.