Test scores show more Mass. students are ready for college
The number of Massachusetts high school students who are ready for college is rising considering that nearly 28 percent of those who took the advance placement exam last year scored a three or higher, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education considers that to be a solid indicator of college readiness.
Exam results from 2012, released by the College Board, were up 2.4 percent from the previous year. The results showed Massachusetts had the highest percentage of high scorers nationwide after Maryland and New York.
Just over 39 percent of Massachusetts’ public high school students took the exam last year up from nearly 22 percent in 2002, according to the report.
The performance of minority and low-income students in the state continues to improve, although their AP exam results still lag behind Asian and white students.
Nearly 39 percent of African American students scored a three or higher, compared with just over 55 percent of their Hispanic and Latino peers, just over 75 percent of white students, and more than 77 percent of Asian students.
More than 1,710 Asian students scored a three or higher last year, compared with nearly 660 a decade ago, and more than 12,300 white students scored a three or higher, up from just over 7,100 in 2002.
