The number of Fairfax County Public Schools students who took one or more Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in May 1999 has significantly increased. The total number of students taking AP examinations increased by 52 percent, and the number of tests taken by all students increased 62 percent over the number of AP exams taken in 1998. Black students represented the greatest percentage of growth in test takers, with an increase of almost 100 percent. The AP examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board measure college-level achievement of students, and colleges often give college credit for that achievement.

According to Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech, "We are very pleased that a significant number of our students are being exposed to Advanced Placement instruction. On each examination, students must demonstrate mastery of a full year course during a three-hour national examination."

The percentage of Fairfax students scoring three or above dropped slightly to about the national average. Commenting on the decline in scores, Domenech said, "With so many more students taking the exams this year, it not surprising that their scores settled down to about the national average."

May 1999 was the first time the Fairfax County School Board required that students taking the AP courses also take the exams. The school system now pays for students to take the tests. Highlights of the 1999 results for Fairfax County Public Schools are:

• The total number of tests taken by all students was 16,986-an increase of 62 percent over the number of tests taken in 1998 (Table 1).
• The total number of students taking the AP examinations was 8,862-an increase of 52 percent over the number of students taking the AP examinations in 1998 (Table 2).
• The greatest percentage growth in test takers was in the Black population with an increase of almost 100 percent (Table 3).
• For all examinations taken, the average score decreased from 3.35 in 1998 to 2.98 in 1999 (Table 1). This compares to an average score of 3.02 nationwide.
• Test scores of three or above decreased from 75 percent in 1998 to 62 percent in 1999 (Table 1). This compares to 64 percent nationwide. Although the percent declined, the number of test scores of three or above in 1999 (10,516) was greater than the number of tests taken in 1998 (10,462). In addition, there were substantial increases in the number of minority students scoring three or better in 1999 compared to 1998.
• The percent of test takers who reported themselves as other than White increased from 31 percent in 1998 to 34.1 percent in 1999 (Table 3). (On the question of ethnicity, 8,237 out of 8,862 examination takers responded.)
• As in the past 13 administrations of the test, United States History (2477) was the test most frequently taken. Government and Politics: United States (2266) was the next most frequently taken test (Table 4).

Average scores were based on the following grade scale: five equals extremely well qualified, four equals well qualified, three equals qualified, two equals possibly qualified, and one equals no recommendation.

The examinations are administered in the county's high schools each May, under the direction of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey.

Table 1: FCPS Results for All Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations Mean Score and Number of Tests Taken and Percent and Number at/or Above 3 1997 Through 1999

Table 2: FCPS Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations Numbr and Percent of Students Tested by Grade Level 1997 Through 1999

Table 3: FCPS Advanced Placed (AP) Examinations Number and Percent of Students Tested by Ethnicity 1997 Through 1999

Table 4:FCPS Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations by Subject Mean Scores, Percent at/or Above 3, and Number of Tests Taken 1997-1999

Last update: September 26, 2000