Utah 10th in AP pass rates, but few students participate

Over the past five years, Utah has seen relatively no increase in the percentage of kids who take advanced placement classes. And while those who do take the tests compare favorably with other students across the country, local education leaders say that until we do a better job with college preparation, the state will continue to send low numbers to college.

Less than half of high school students in Utah go directly to college upon graduation, according to The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Only Alaska, Arizona and Idaho send fewer, ranking the Beehive State 47th in the country.

"All educators should be concerned that we have kids going into higher education needing to take remedial education courses," said Hal L. Sanderson, director of Institutional Research and Assessment for the Canyons School District. "We think we can do better than that."

In Utah, more than 9,190 students took AP exams in 2009, up from 8,914 last year and 7,984 in 2007. But those numbers reflect an increase in overall enrollment, and not a greater percentage of students taking AP courses. In fact, over the last five years, the number of students participating in the college-readiness program has hovered around 27 percent each year, while some other states have seen double-digit percentage increases. The College Board released its annual report on AP exams on Wednesday.

About 18.5 percent of students who took the tests in Utah this year met the requirements for college credits, down slightly from last year's success rates, but putting the state 10th in the nation in passing rates. In the past five years, Utah has seen a slight decline in the percentage of students who pass.

"You're dealing with teenagers here, and anytime you can give them a positive experience to equate with going to college, especially in a safe environment that they are familiar with, they'll be more prepared," said Moya Kessig, early college specialist for the Utah State Office of Education. "It's all about preparation."

Kessig said the majority of students and their parents are aware that they can get college credit while in high school, but the trouble is there are a lot of expectations placed on young students, and trying to juggle them can be difficult. But she agrees that the more exposure a child can have to rigorous courses, the better.