Dallas ISD’s Advanced Placement (AP) students are excelling, according to the district’s Advanced Academic Services department, which reported an increase in enrollment, student participation in the AP exams, and qualifying scores for potential college credit.
Contrary to common belief, honors and advanced placement courses are accessible to all students across district high schools, irrespective of course grades, class ranking, or test scores.
Roughly 2100 more students are taking AP courses than in the 2021-2022 school year. Currently, the district offers nearly 500 AP classes, an increase of more than 100 as compared to last school year. There was also an increase in African American students participating in one or more AP courses.
“We have two new courses that started this year,” said Mitchell Morken, director of Advanced Academic Services. One of them is AP African American studies, which Dallas ISD is piloting districtwide through the College Board, and the other is AP Pre-Calculus.
In an effort to support students, Advanced Academic Services established the AP Ambassador program and AP University. The ambassador program pairs a designated AP teacher with a group of students, and every campus is encouraged to have an ambassador program to further increase participation.
“Our AP ambassadors motivate students to attend AP prep sessions, hold study groups, or shadow new courses. Ambassadors will also be distributing surveys to see what kids are interested in for next year’s AP University,” Morken said.
AP University, or Advanced Placement University, is in its second year and allows students to take live, virtual courses, including:
- African American Studies
- Calculus AB
- Computer Science Principles
- Environmental Science
- Human Geography
- Psychology
These courses offer valuable opportunities for students to challenge themselves academically and prepare for higher education. Accessibility and inclusivity contribute to an equitable learning environment for diverse groups of students to help them reach their full potential.
For more information on Dallas ISD’s advanced placement program, visit the website here.
