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College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking

Author

Listed:
  • Fazlul, Ishtiaque

    (University of Missouri)

  • Jones, Todd R.

    (Mississippi State University)

  • Smith, Jonathan

    (Georgia State University)

Abstract

Millions of high school students who take an Advanced Placement (AP) course in one of over 30 subjects can earn college credit by performing well on the corresponding AP exam. Using data from four metro-Atlanta public school districts, we find that 15 percent of students' AP courses do not result in an AP exam. We predict that up to 32 percent of the AP courses that do not result in an AP exam would result in a score of 3 or higher, which generally commands college credit at colleges and universities across the United States. Next, we examine disparities in AP exam-taking rates by demographics and course taking patterns. Most immediately policy relevant, we find evidence consistent with the positive impact of school district exam subsidies on AP exam-taking rates. In fact, students on free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) in the districts that provide a higher subsidy to FRL students than non-FRL students are more likely to take an AP exam than their non-FRL counterparts, after controlling for demographic and academic covariates.

Suggested Citation

  • Fazlul, Ishtiaque & Jones, Todd R. & Smith, Jonathan, 2021. "College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking," IZA Discussion Papers 14652, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14652
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Smith, Jonathan & Hurwitz, Michael & Howell, Jessica, 2015. "Screening mechanisms and student responses in the college market," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 17-28.
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    9. Jonathan Smith & Michael Hurwitz & Christopher Avery, 2017. "Giving College Credit Where It Is Due: Advanced Placement Exam Scores and College Outcomes," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(1), pages 67-147.
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    1. Bell, D’Wayne & Feng, Jing & Holbein, John B. & Smith, Jonathan, 2022. "Do STEM Students Vote?," IZA Discussion Papers 15483, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    educational economics; advanced placement; high school coursework;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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