AP enrollment surges in York County high schools

Enrollment in rigorous Advanced Placement courses has surged over the past five years for college-bound students in York County public high schools, though some schools’ AP exam passing rates fall well below the state average.

All seven public high schools in York County offer AP courses, designed to challenge students and prepare them for college-level work. Students who earn a passing score on an end-of-course exam can also earn college credit.

The number of York County high school students who take AP classes and exams has grown dramatically over the last five years, up around 50 percent in both Rock Hill and Clover high schools and up around a third in Fort Mill.

Almost 2,300 students in York County’s four school districts took AP classes and exams in 2015, compared to nearly 1,300 who took them in 2011. AP exams are offered in May, and scored over the summer, so 2016 statistics are not yet available.

The number of students taking AP exams has declined slightly at York Comprehensive High School, from 140 students in 2011 to 121 in 2015, school officials said.

YCHS Principal Chris Black said a likely reason is that York has expanded dual credit course offerings through York Technical College in the past three years, to around 15 courses. Students who earn a passing grade in a dual-credit class receive college credit without the end-of-course exam requirement.

In Rock Hill’s three high schools, where nearly 1,300 students took AP exams in 2015, up from around 650 in 2011, passing rates have been well below the South Carolina average in each of the past five years. Rock Hill schools have a more open enrollment policy for AP than many other schools.

Meanwhile, passing rates for Rock Hill students who take exams for International Baccalaureate, a different program which also allows student to earn college credit, exceeded the state average for four of the past five years. Rock Hill’s three high schools are the only ones in York County that offer the IB program.

Only 35 percent of AP exams taken at Rock Hill’s three high schools in 2015 earned a score of 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-5), the minimum threshold to earn college credit. Statewide, 58 percent of exams earned passing AP scores.

Rock Hill Superintendent Kelly Pew said Rock Hill’s high schools are unique among many others across the state in that they have no minimum grade requirements in prerequisite courses for students to enroll in AP courses.

“We have been very open in allowing kids to be exposed to these rigorous classes,” Pew said. “We believe we need to open that up, and not just for a few students, but allowing in anyone who will do the work.”

Pew said the Rock Hill district would like to increase AP passing scores, but she said students are encouraged to take the courses because educators believe they benefit from the exposure to a difficult course.

Rock Hill’s South Pointe High Principal Al Leonard supports that philosophy, saying the students are encouraged “to take the most rigorous courses they are able to complete . . . We want students to challenge themselves.”

Leonard said that even if students don’t pass the AP exam, educators believe experience in such a course helps them do better on college entrance exams and in college classes.

“Some districts only have their best and brightest take it,” Leonard said. “But I am passionate about students challenging themselves because it does pay off.”

High schools in Clover and Fort Mill do have minimum grade requirements in lower-level honors courses for students who want to enroll in AP, district officials said.

But York does not have such requirements. “If kids feel they are up for the challenge of AP course work, we let them take the course,” said York Superintendent Vernon Prosser.

Chari Young, Fort Mill schools’ director of middle and secondary education, said students can override AP course enrollment requirements if the student and his or her parents meets with an AP teacher.

“Nobody is locked out,” Young said. “But we feel like it’s necessary to give them some guidelines. We want to be honest with students about what the work load will be.”

AP exam passing rates in Fort Mill and Clover, both districts with more selective AP enrollment policies, exceeded the state average for five straight years. York’s AP passing rates topped the state average for the past two years.

In Rock Hill schools, IB is a much smaller program than AP, with a holistic approach that seeks to provide students with an international perspective.

While Rock Hill enrollment in AP has grown rapidly, enrollment in IB courses fell slightly, from 203 Rock Hill students who took IB exams in 2011 to 178 students who took them in 2015.

Rock Hill passing rates on the IB exam, offered at all three Rock Hill high schools, are significantly higher than AP exam passing rates. IB allows students to earn college credit if they earn a score of 4 or higher on an end-of-course exam.

In 2015, 74 percent of IB exams taken by Rock Hill students earned a passing score. That rate exceeds the South Carolina average of 70 percent. IB exams are offered in May and scored over the summer, so 2016 data is not yet available.

Leonard and Pew said IB is more of a coordinated program than AP, and students often progress through the course work together, while AP encourages students to pick only those courses they want to take.

Leonard said guidance counselors talk to students about AP, IB and dual credit courses and encourage them to sign up for those that meet their goals. Some students take courses in all three programs.

“The priority for me is looking at the individual needs and ability of the students,” Leonard said. “I would rather have that student in those classes, give that student support and have that student be exposed to that curriculum.”

This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 7:04 PM with the headline "AP enrollment surges in York County high schools."