Lake County high schools expect to see a bit more student interest in Advanced Placement classes as a result of a law passed last month that gives students a better shot at earning college credit before they walk into their first classes.
Starting in the 2016-17 school year, Illinois colleges and universities must provide credits to students who score a 3 or better on an AP exam. Credit-granting policies previously varied depending on the individual schools, with some giving credit only to students who score at least a 4 on the 5-point scale, while others granted credit to students who scored as low as 2, according to the College Board, which offers the tests.
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At the College of Lake County, the score needed to earn credit has varied by subject. A 3 on the Biology, English Language & Composition or Physics B exam is worth some college credit hours, but in European History, U.S. History and foreign languages, students need to score at least a 4, according to the college’s website.
Heather Bennett, spokeswoman for Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit School District 116, and Wileen Gehrig, assistant superintendent of instructional services and personnel at Warren Township High School District 121 in Gurnee, said they don’t expect to see students previously uninterested in AP courses, rigorous and meant to approximate an entry-level college class, signing up in droves as a result of the new law.
But Gehrig said she thinks it may give counselors more success encouraging “middle-of-the-road kids” uncertain about their ability to succeed in an AP course.
“It’s another little bonus for kids that makes it not as scary, especially if it’s their first AP class,” she said.
Not only do the classes often require more work, students pay $92 per exam unless they qualify for reductions based on financial need. That pales in comparison to the cost of a college credit-hour, Gehrig noted, but it’s a payoff low-scoring students don’t get.
District 116 foots the bill for each student’s first exam, but students must pay for any additional tests they take.
At District 121, 89.4 percent of the more than 1,100 students taking an AP exam last year passed, but 26 percent earned 3’s, the minimum passing score, Gehrig said.
Out of 517 District 116 students who took AP exams last year, 27 percent earned a 3, equal to the share earning 4’s and 5’s, said Donn Mendoza, assistant superintendent of secondary education.
Statewide, the number of students taking AP exams has been on the rise — 105,205 took at least one exam in 2015, up from 78,654 in 2011 — while the share of students earning a passing grade of 3 or better on at least one exam has stayed at roughly 66 percent, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
If colleges that previously required higher scores extend credit or the ability to skip courses to students earning 3’s, Mendoza said he sees no reason students should feel the need to retake a course they placed out of or worry about succeeding in a higher-level class.
Colleges that want to make sure students have covered introductory course material could offer credit for exams without letting students skip ahead, he said.
“They may still make them take a similar course that is unique to their institution,” he said. “However, it does not mean they aren’t college-ready.”
Signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, the change is designed to streamline the AP credit process across the state’s public universities, as well as make college more accessible and affordable.
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