Opening Access to Advanced Placement English

The goal of this study was to examine the growth trend in enrollment into AP over Honors English courses in secondary students across six high schools in the same school district over the past eight years and to determine how that enrollment impacted exam performance. Both a student survey and district demographic and exam performance data was pulled across the six high schools for all AP English Language and Composition (AP Language) and AP English Literature and Composition (AP Literature) courses over the course of time under study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends in enrollment growth, AP scores, AP pass rates, and how different demographics were impacted due to open access policies. There are many studies published that speak of the benefits of AP courses, but there is little research about the growth trend in AP enrollment for schools who do implement an open access policy to enrollment, what that policy does for subgroup population enrollment, and how that growth in enrollment impacts performance data like AP scores and pass rates compared to schools that do not share the same enrollment policies. This study was able to provide insights into the effects of College Board’s push for enrollment in these traditionally marginalized populations by exploring the quantitative effects of opening access to AP English. There is limited research contributing to claims of the benefits of AP that have quantitative backing, and this data provides a multi-year impact of exactly that process.