Students inPrince George's Countyare taking more Advanced Placement tests than in previous years, according to the College Board's Eighth Annual AP Report to the Nation, released last week.
In the county, the number of AP exams taken has increased from 5,329 exams in 2006-2007, to 8,978 in 2010-2011 — an increase of 68 percent.
However Prince George's County's students scored at lower levels than some surrounding counties in the state, including Howard County, where 40 percent of students scored 3 or higher.
Among 2011 Maryland graduates, 27.9 percent scored a 3 or higher out of 5 on the exams. In Prince George's County, 26 percent of those who took tests in 2010 scored a 3 or higher, an increase from 25 percent the year before and higher than the 2011 nationwide passing rate of 18.1 percent.
Over the course of the last four years, the number of black and Hispanic students taking AP exams in Prince George's County has nearly doubled, from a combined 2,252 in 2006-2007 to 4,037 in 2010-2011.
Last year, the school system was placed on the College Board's AP Achievement List for opening AP classes to a broader pool of students and improving access to those classes by offering online and weekend review courses.
The system also set a minimum number of courses each high school must offer — from eight to 18 — depending on enrollment, and covers the cost of AP exams.
"We are thrilled that our work to improve equity and access to Advanced Placement courses is paying off," Superintendent William Hite Jr. said in a statement.
"The next phase of our strategy will be to better prepare teachers and students for the exams ... Exposure to AP courses results in greater student success over the long-term. We will continue to give our students every opportunity for a brighter future."