what we know about ap students - eric · 2016-03-11 · what we know about ap ... report on all...

What We Know

About AP® StudentsAP Annual Conference

Las Vegas, Nevada

July 13, 2007

Ellen A. Sawtell, Philip Handwerk, and Jacqueline M. Gillie

A more in-depth look at AP

test takers in the Nation

and Florida AP Annual Conference

Las Vegas, Nevada

July 13, 2007

Ellen A. Sawtell and Jacqueline M. Gillie

3

Main Objective

• Are students who self-report that they

take more years of study in a particular

subject area more likely to take AP?

4

Desired Session Outcomes

• Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the characteristics of AP Students by examining variables such as their college interests.

• Participants will learn how this population has changed between 2001 and 2005.

• Participants will be better able to help identify students not currently being served by AP.

5

The Numbers – Nation

• In 2005, nearly 1.5 million students

graduated having taken the SAT®

• When students register to take the SAT,

they are asked to fill out a 42-item

questionnaire

• 73 – 76% of students who took AP also

filled out the SAT questionnaire

6

The Population & The Instrument

• The SAT is primarily taken by juniors and seniors

in high school

• The SAT is a test that measures critical reading,

math, and writing

• The SAT questionnaire includes questions about:

• demographic information

• high school coursework and activities, and

• college preferences and aspirations

7

The Matched Cohort we built

• SAT Summary reports (i.e., College-Bound

Seniors) are produced based on the

graduating class of seniors

• If you last took the SAT as a junior (in January

2004) your scores will be part of a summary

report on all seniors graduating in 2005

• AP Summary reports are produced based

on the academic year

8

The Matched Cohort we built

• Therefore, results presented are for the

graduating class of seniors.

• Issue-Time lag for results

• Impact of questionnaire modification in 2003

has impact on about 75% students

9

Test-Takers – Nation

• In the 2001 graduating class of seniors:

• 1,276,320 took the SAT Reasoning Test

• 516,645 took an AP exam

• 394,717 of those students who took an AP exam filled out the SAT Questionnaire


• 1,475,623 took the SAT Reasoning Test



10

Analyses – Nation

11

Percent by Degree Goal

12

1 0

13

3029

0

16

9

0 0

15

2926

0

20

0

10

20

30

40

NO RESPONSE CERTIFICATE ASSOCIATE BACHELOR'S MASTER'S DOCTORAL OTHER UNDECIDED

2001 2005

12

Percent by Gender

56

44

57

43

0

20

40

60

80

FEMALE MALE

2001 2005

13

Percent by Race/Ethnicity

0 0

13

610

68

40 0

127

12

65

4

0

20

40

60

80

NO RESPONSE AMERICAN INDIAN

OR ALASKA NATIVE

ASIAN, ASIAN-

AMERICAN, OR

PACIFIC ISLANDER

BLACK OR

AFRICAN-

AMERICAN

HISPANIC OR

LATINO

WHITE OTHER

2001 2005

14

Percent by Best Language

9

81

822

87

92

0

20

40

60

80

100

NO RESPONSE ENGLISH ONLY ENGLISH AND ANOTHER

LANGUAGE

ANOTHER LANG

2001 2005

15

Percent by Parental Level of Education

13

3

19

6

27

32

7

4

21

6

29

32

0

10

20

30

40

NO RESPONSE NO HS DIPLOMA BETWEEN HS AND

COLLEGE

ASSOCIATE DEGREE BACHELORS DEGREE GRADUATE DEGREE

2001 2005

16

Percent of Students who took AP

Calculus AB by Years of Calculus

17

37

53

61

48

9

15

32

50

62

42

7

0

20

40

60

80

No Response 1/2 Year 1 Year 2 Years 3 or More Years None

2001 2005

17

Percent of Students who took AP Physics

B by Years of Physics

4 6 8

30

22

24 4

8

31

24

1

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

18


Macroeconomics by Years of Economics

5 7

16

34

20

36

9

17

35

19

3

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

19

Percent of Students who took AP Spanish

by Years of Spanish

6 47 5

22

16 6

107

21

1

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

20

Percent of Students who took AP English

Language by Composition Indicator

18

2724

35

0

20

40

60

80

NO YES

2001 2005

21

Percent by High School Activities

66

13

72

59

9

68

0

20

40

60

80

COMMUNITY OR SERVICE ACTIVITY ETHNIC OR CROSS-CULTURAL ACTIVITY SPORTS

2001 2005

22

Percent by Type of Institution

90

52 2

90

52 2

0

20

40

60

80

100

4 Year College 2 Year College Vocational/Technical School Undecided

2001 2005

23

Percent by Type of University

66

54

12

67

46

14

0

20

40

60

80

Public University Private University Undecided

2001 2005

24

Percent by Size of College

25

3429

17

33

21

2723

14

43

0

20

40

60

80

Less than 5,000 students 5,000 - 10,000 students 10,000 - 20,000 students > 20,000 students Undecided

2001 2005

25

Percent by College Setting

36

48

24

16

5

24

33

42

1613

4

30

0

20

40

60

80

Large City/Metro Area Medium City Small City/Town Suburban Community Rural Undecided

2001 2005

26

Percent by Proximity to Home

54

44

4

19

52

37

4

24

0

20

40

60

80

Home State Not in Home State Outside US Undecided

2001 2005

27

Analyses – Florida

28

The Numbers – Florida

• In 2005, more than 93,000 students

graduated having taken the SAT®

• 85 – 86% of students who took AP also

filled out the SAT questionnaire

29

Test-Takers – Florida


• 69,363 took the SAT Reasoning Test




• 93,505 took the SAT Reasoning Test



30

Percent by Degree Goal

14

0 0

12

28

32

0

13

8

0 0

14

2830

0

18

0

10

20

30

40

NO

RESPONSE

CERTIFICATE ASSOCIATE BACHELOR'S MASTER'S DOCTORAL OTHER UNDECIDED

2001 2005

31

Percent by Gender

57

43

58

42

0

20

40

60

80

FEMALE MALE

2001 2005

32

Percent by Race/Ethnicity

0 0

7 8

18

64

30 0

69

22

59

3

0

20

40

60

80

NO

RESPONSE

AMERICAN

INDIAN OR

ALASKA

NATIVE

ASIAN,

ASIAN-

AMERICAN,

OR PACIFIC

ISLANDER

BLACK OR

AFRICAN-

AMERICAN

HISPANIC OR

LATINO

WHITE OTHER

2001 2005

33

Percent by Best Language

10

78

9

22

84

11

3

0

20

40

60

80

100

NO RESPONSE ENGLISH ONLY ENGLISH AND

ANOTHER LANGUAGE

ANOTHER LANG

2001 2005

34

Percent by Parental Level of Education

16

2

21

8

26 27

7

2

25

8

2928

0

10

20

30

40

NO RESPONSE NO HS

DIPLOMA

BETWEEN HS

AND COLLEGE

ASSOCIATE

DEGREE

BACHELORS

DEGREE

GRADUATE

DEGREE

2001 2005

35


Calculus AB by Years of Calculus

14

43

59

7

7275

52

29

12

75

51

5

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

36

Percent of Students who took AP Physics

B by Years of Physics

46 6

48 49

14 5

8

45

50

1

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

37


Macroeconomics by Years of Economics

16

7

43

16

8912 12

19

48

17

9

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

38

Percent of Students who took AP Spanish

by Years of Spanish

85

10

4

29

1 2

27

7

13

97

0

20

40

60

80


2001 2005

39

Percent of Students who took AP English

Language by Composition Indicator

27

43

50

31

0

20

40

60

80

NO YES

2001 2005

40

Percent by High School Activities

65

11

68

62

9

63

0

20

40

60

80

COMMUNITY OR SERVICE

ACTIVITY

ETHNIC OR CROSS-CULTURAL

ACTIVITY

SPORTS

2001 2005

41

Percent by Type of Institution

86

7

2 2

90

8

2 2

0

20

40

60

80

100

4 Year College 2 Year College Vocational/Technical

School

Undecided

2001 2005

42

Percent by Type of University

70

46

9

75

38

10

0

20

40

60

80

Public University Private University Undecided

2001 2005

43

Percent by Size of College

18

26 2622

35

14

20 2018

48

0

20

40

60

80

Less than 5,000

students

5,000 - 10,000

students

10,000 - 20,000

students

> 20,000 students Undecided

2001 2005

44

Percent by College Setting

35

47

17

10

3

24

34

42

129

3

31

0

20

40

60

80

Large City/Metro

Area

Medium City Small City/Tow n Suburban

Community

Rural Undecided

2001 2005

45

Percent by Proximity to Home

58

36

4

17

60

29

4

20

0

20

40

60

80

Home State Not in Home State Outside US Undecided

2001 2005

46

Conclusions

• Demographics

• Most AP Exam takers are aspiring to obtain a Master‟s or a Doctoral degree

• Female AP Exam takers continue to outnumber males

• A higher percentage of minority students are taking at least one AP Exam

• Most AP Exam takers indicate English only as their best language

• A majority of the parents had at least a Bachelor‟s degree

47

Conclusions

• Coursework

• Calculus – Students who have two years of coursework are more likely to sit for the AP Exam

• Physics – Nationally, students who have two years of coursework are more likely to sit for the AP Exam; in Florida, students with three or more years are more likely to sit for the AP Exam, followed closely by students with two years of coursework

• Economics – Students with two years of coursework are more likely to take the AP Exam than other students

• Spanish – Students with three or more years of coursework are more likely to take the AP Exam than other students

• English – Students who have coursework and/or experience in Composition are more likely to sit for the AP Exam

48

Conclusions

• Aspirations

• Sports appears to be the most popular extracurricular activity followed closely by community service; however, participation seems to be declining

• Most AP Exam takers plan to attend a four-year, public institution

• College size does not appear to be a major concern for students as indicated by the high percentage of undecided

• Most AP Exam takers plan to attend a college in a medium-sized city

• Most AP Exam takers plan to attend a college in their home state

49

What’s an Administrator, AP

Coordinator, Counselor To Do?

• Review current and trend characteristics of

AP students, such as college interests,

enabling school personnel to better serve

students and facilitate the process of

connecting them to college success.

• Understanding the characteristics of AP

students can be a tool to identify potential

students not currently taking advantage of

AP.

50

Limitations of our research include..

• Students who are not offered AP at their

schools

• Students who do not take the SAT

• Research limited to five AP Exams

51

Future Research

• Explore ways to match students as they come to the website to answer the questionnaire a little at a time

• Look at performance data in addition to participation

• Look at those students with two or more years of coursework that are not taking the corresponding AP Exam

52

Questions, Comments, Suggestions

• Researchers are encouraged to freely express

their professional judgment. Therefore, points of

view or opinions stated in College Board

presentations do not necessarily represent official

College Board position or policy.

• Please forward any questions, comments, and

suggestions to:

- [email protected] and/or

- [email protected]

53

Appendix

• Copy of SAT Questionnaire

54

Changes Applied to Questionnaire

• Noted „for research only‟ on parental questions

• Removed option for students to „Reset‟ or respond „I don‟t know‟

• Added “I do not wish to respond” option

• Removed „Cancel‟ option to exit

• Required all first-time web registrants to go to questionnaire

• If respondent left „key questions‟ blank, question reloads

55

Web increase → Non-response increase

• Key questions in which non-response caused the

most concern:

• Ethnicity

• Mother‟s Education

• Father‟s Education

• Parental Income

• High School GPA

• First Language Spoken

• Best Language Spoken

what we know about ap students - eric · 2016-03-11 · what we know about ap ... report on all...

Documents