Number Of Wisconsin Students Taking Advanced Placement Courses Has Nearly Doubled In A Decade

The number of Wisconsin students taking Advanced Placement courses has nearly doubled in the last decade, according to new figures released by the state Department of Public Instruction.

More than 40,000 Wisconsin high school students took AP tests in the 2015-16 school year.

That’s up from about 21,000 in 2006.

DPI Communications Director Tom McCarthy said the rise is part of a trend of exposing students to college-level coursework in high school, which he said is especially valuable in an era of rising college costs.

“Either that’s through a dual enrollment program or a youth options program, where they’re actually physically going to the campus,” McCarthy said. “The idea of getting ahead on college and getting exposed to the idea of what college means is important. Parents value it; students are valuing it as well.”

Wisconsin students scored well enough on the exams to qualify for college credit about 65 percent of the time, according to the DPI.

But the figures also show disparities in performance and participation for African-American and Latino students.