Incentives Work

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In 1997, the state of Texas began offering up to $100 per student to school districts to encourage high school students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and to score 3 or higher on the AP exams. Most Texas colleges and universities will give students college credit for AP courses if they score 3 or higher.

Key	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
No. of students with scores of 3, 4, & 5	21178	28006	32381	37526	42909	49721	58964	64157	76802
Students taking exams	33944	45733	52156	62318	74192	88485	107640	125785	144060

Proof that funding incentives work also is shown in a recent report by Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc. Published in August 2003, the report shows a sharp rise in the number of students enrolled in AP classes and students scoring 3 or better.

Dallas ISD, number of students taking AP exams in all subjects:

In 1995, only 318 Dallas high school students in 10 DISD schools took AP exams. In the first full year the state incentive was offered, the number grew nearly four-fold to 1,157, and by 2003, that number had soared to 2,331.

Dallas ISD, number of students taking AP Exams in Math, Science and English

In 1995, 269 students at 10 DISD high schools took exams in math, science and English. In the first full year of the state incentive was offered, the number grew nearly five-fold, and by 2003 1,531 students had taken AP exams in math, science and English.

The number of minority students taking AP exams has increased significantly.

Key	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
American Indian	145	194	229	282	287	321
African-American	1657	1903	2206	3072	3421	4076
Asian	3494	3941	4337	5281	6013	6862
Hispanic	7665	9660	12162	15620	18890	21640

DISD Minority Student Scores on AP Exams in Math, Science and English

Performance of African-American and Hispanic students in 10 DISD high schools followed the same pattern. In 1995, only 16 (41 percent) of African-American students and 34 (19 percent) of Hispanic students scored 3 or higher on AP exams in math, science and English. By 1997, the first full year of the state incentive, the number (%) of African-American students achieving a 3 or better was 75 (68 percent) and the number of Hispanics was 66 (22 percent). By 2002, the numbers had grown to 179 (33 percent) of African-American students and 222 (28 percent of Hispanics.

Texas exceeds the national average in percentage of high schools offering AP courses. In 1997, the first year the AP incentive was fully funded, just over 60 percent of all Texas high schools offered AP courses, compared to about 58 percent of schools nationally. By 2002, 71 percent of high schools offered AP courses, compared to 64.9 percent nationally.

Texas AP^® Participation 1997-2002

Key	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Candidates	37563	44093	51228	60405	69569	80240
Exams	62318	74192	88485	107640	125785	144060