The number of AP tests has jumped 59 percent since 1997, to a total of 1,756 tests last year. As measured by The Post's Challenge Index, Howard's AP participation rate ranks ninth among 20 Washington area school districts. All 10 of the county's high schools have shown some increase. The index measures the success of drawing students into college-level courses and tests designed by AP, a program of the College Board, or by International Baccalaureate, a much smaller but rapidly growing program with similar goals. The Washington area has become a center of AP and IB activity as educators have praised the courses and the tests for energizing faculty and preparing students for the demands of college.
Students performing well on the tests can receive college credit or advanced placement.
But they also are much better prepared for the rigors of college, said Lee Jones, the executive director of the AP program for the New York-based College Board. The Howard school showing the greatest increase in the number of tests and having the highest index rating is Centennial High. The Ellicott City school has raised its number of AP tests 52 percent since 1997 and ranks 30th among the 145 public high schools in the Washington area. The Challenge Index measures participation in college-level programs by dividing the total number of AP or IB tests by the number of seniors graduating from the school. Glenelg High, which showed the smallest increase in its rating, actually gave 10 fewer AP tests in 2000 than it did in 1997, but the number of seniors also decreased, so its rating went up from 0.521 to 0.525, placing it 85th in the area.