Arkansas and Advanced Placement:

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Arkansas andAdvanced Placement
A Blueprint for Success
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Why AP? Increases rigor in high school Prepa
res students for entry- level college
coursework expectations Helps students and
parents save on postsecondary tuition
Boosts postsecondary enrollment and
completion -- Education Commission of the States
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The Education Commission of the States
recommends a comprehensive state AP policy with
10 components to guarantee uniform expectations.
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Require all high schools to offer a minimum
number of AP courses

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Arkansas does Act 102 of 2003 requires that all
high school students have the opportunity to
enroll in at least one AP course in the four core
areas -- English, math, science and social
studies -- beginning with the 2008-2009 school
year.
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2. Offer financial incentives for districts and
schools to provide AP courses.
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Arkansas does Act 881 of 1995 provided for a
one-time equipment/materials grants Act 929 of
1997 provides for a schools AP program to
receive 50 for each score of 3 or better earned
by students on AP exams NMSI grants.
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3. Offer accountability incentives for districts
and schools to proved AP courses
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Arkansas does Superintendents must verify to the
Commissioner of Education that the district
offers the required minimum of AP courses
districts must report annually to the State Board
of Education regarding students in AP and their
scores
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4. Include a virtual school component to assist
rural and small schools.
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Arkansas does ACA 6-47-501 establishes the
availability of AP courses through distance
learning

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5. Establish a program and provide funding for AP
teacher training and professional development
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Arkansas does Act 146 of 2001 raised the cap of
450 per teacher to 650 for AP and Pre-AP
professional development.
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6. Provide for Pre-AP courses and training
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Arkansas does Act 929 of 1997 addedPre-AP and
Pre-AP professional development Act 146 of 2001
raised the cap for PD to 650 per teacher.
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7. Subsidize student test fees, at a minimum for
low-income students
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Arkansas does Arkansas law allows and ADE rules
require for all students AP examination fees to
be paid for by the state.
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8. Require students to take the AP exam to
receive AP course credit
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Arkansas does Arkansas law allows weighted
credit only if the student takes the entire AP
course and takes the applicable test at the end
of the course
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9. Create a mechanism to identify schools in
which low-income and Latino/African-American
students are substantially underrepresented in AP
course and require programs to increase AP
enrollments
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Arkansas does Districts must report annually to
the State Board of Education regarding students
in AP and their scores by grade level, economic
status and ethnicity
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10. Require public postsecondary institutions
in the state to award credit to students based
on minimum AP exam scores

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Arkansas does Arkansas institutions of higher
education passed a credit policy for AP exams so
that all institutions award some level of credit
for scores of 4 and 5.
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Arkansas is the ONLY state to meet all 10
requirements.
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In 2006, the College Board touted the Arkansas
model for other states to follow.

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Arkansas policies have produced positive results.
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Number of Public Schools Participating in AP
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Number of Students Taking AP Exams
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Number of Exams
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AP grade of 3 (all groups)
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AP grade of 4 (all groups)
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AP grade of 5 (all groups)
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It is no failure to fall short of realizing all
that we might dream. The failure is to fall
short of dreaming all that we might realize.
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Its not the place we occupy, its the
direction we choose to move.
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At the end of the day, the need is to improve
student achievement and classroom instruction.