WASHINGTON – Maryland public high school students had the highest success rate on Advanced Placement tests in 2012, according to figures released Wednesday by the College Board.
Virginia came in fifth, behind New York, Massachusetts and Florida. The previous year, Virginia students had the third highest success rate on the tests, which help students prepare for college and can lead to college credit.
In Maryland, 29.6 percent of public high school students received a score of 3 or higher. The figure for Virginia was 27.2 percent.
In the District, 9.9 percent of students got a 3 or higher.
Students who score a 3 or highter on the 5-point scale can receive college credit for their work or get advanced placement at most colleges and universities.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley released a statement congratulating students, educators and parents.
“Because of the better choices we’ve made together to invest in our children’s future, we’ve built the No. 1 public schools in the nation,” he said.
Here are the top 10 states in terms of the percentage of high school graduates succeeding on the AP Exam:
- Maryland (29.6 percent)
- New York (28.0 percent)
- Massachusetts (27.9 percent)
- Florida (27.3 percent)
- Virginia (27.2 percent)
- Connecticut (26.9 percent)
- Maine (24.8 percent)
- California (24.7 percent)
- Colorado (24.2 percent)
- Vermont (22.8 percent)
Here’s the College Board’s full report.
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