File photo
Students in an Advanced Placement statistics class work through a lesson using hypotheses tests.
Vestavia Hills High School students scored slightly higher on their Advanced Placement exams this past year than did in the previous two years but still markedly improved from the 2020-21 school year, officials said.
Of the 592 students who took AP exams during the 2023-24 school year, 86.3% of them scored a 3 or higher, which is the level needed to get partial or complete credit for college courses, said Jason Bostic, the director of assessment and accountability for the school system.
That was slightly higher than the 86.2% who scored a 3 or higher in the 2022-23 school year and the 85.6% who scored 3 or higher in the 2021-22 school year. But it was much better than the 71.8% who scored a 3 or higher in the 2020-21 school year.
The number of students taking AP exams fell from 630 in the 2022-23 school year to 592 in the 2023-34 school year, and the number of exams taken dropped from 1,437 to 1,381, Bostic said.
The increase in scores over time speaks to the effective teaching going on in the classroom and the progress students who take the tests are making, he said.
It also speaks to how kids are willing to push themselves academically, Bostic said. He believes the number of students taking AP classes and exams and the percentage achieving qualifying scores will grow in conjunction with the science, technology, engineering and math initiative happening in Vestavia’s elementary schools, he said.
By earning college-qualifying scores, Vestavia Hills High School students and their families will save a combined $2 million in college tuition costs, based on current tuition rates at several in-state universities, Vestavia officials said.