REGENTS REPORT 

High School Students Earn College Credit Through Advanced Placement Exams

The Advanced Placement program administered by the College Board offers high school students a chance to study courses that are equivalent to first-year college courses. Following instruction in special AP classes, in honors classes, or in extra independent study, the students can take examinations that demonstrate that they have obtained the knowledge and skills of comparable college courses. When those students later enroll in a college or university that accepts AP credit, they can present their AP scores. Currently all South Dakota public universities award credit for acceptable exam scores.

 More Students Take Exams in 1998

In 1998 more South Dakota students seized the opportunity to earn college credit through the Advanced Placement exams. Both the number of schools offering AP preparation and the number of students taking exams to earn credit increased from 1997. A total of 1,086 South Dakota high school students took 1,536 AP examinations in May 1998. In 1997 882 students took 1,165 exams.

Exams Taken by Students

Among South Dakota high school students, the most popular advanced placement exams were English literature, English composition, calculus AB, and United States history. Nationally, these were also the exams taken most often. Other exams taken by South Dakota students included: art, chemistry, economics, European history, German, physics, Spanish, and statistics.

Scores Received by South Dakota Universities From Residents

South Dakota State University received the greatest number of AP scores for resident students. Eighty-nine students asked that 117 scores be sent to SDSU. The University of South Dakota received the second largest number of scores at 94 from 64 students. Augustana College received 81 scores from 49 South Dakota students. The remaining four regental universities received a total of 119 scores from 91 students.

High School Participation Increased

Forty South Dakota high schools offered some type of AP iInstruction in the 1997-1998 school year, up from 33 schools the previous year. That is a 21 percent increase in one year. The Board of Regents is encouraging more high schools to be involved with the advanced placement program. In an effort to assist the high schools of the state in preparing teachers to instruct AP courses, four regental universities conducted AP institutes in the summer of 1998. The institutes were held in response to requests from leaders in elementary and secondary education who indicated that the school districts wanted assistance in preparing teachers to offer College Board AP courses.