Texas

In 1999, University of Texas Regent Raul Romero proposed a multifaceted Advanced Placement program. Mr. Romero raised $500,000 in private funds to pay for AP examination fees for low-income and underrepresented students for whom this was difficult and on training teachers in summer institutes to teach AP courses in high schools without such courses. The Texas AP Initiative is now a line item in the University of Texas (UT) budget.

The growth in AP participation since the creation of the Texas AP initiative has been substantial. Since 1999, AP participation in Texas has increased 57 percent or by 29,012 students. The number of "fee reduced" Texas students taking AP examinations has increased from 13,504 (15.3 percent of all examinees) in 1999 to 24,525 (17 percent of all examinees) in 2002. Minority AP candidates in Texas have increased by 74 percent for the same period. Hispanic AP candidates in Texas now comprise 24.4 percent of the total AP examinees statewide, while African American candidates make up 4.9 percent of total AP examinees statewide.Within the UT System components, the number of teachers participating in AP summer institutes has grown from 1,882 in the first year of the initiative to 2,584 in 2002, an increase of 37 percent.

Participation in AP classes has grown steadily in all counties surrounding the UT system but most notably in the border regions, which have a majority Hispanic population. For example, in Brownsville the number of AP examinees has increased by 11 percent from 1999.In the area served by UT Pan American, that number has increased by 15.7 percent for Jim Hogg County and 12.6 percent for Brooks County.Several UT components have collaborated with the public schools to establish AP incentive programs in their local communities. These programs provide incentives to students and teachers based on their performance on the AP exams. This past year Tyler, Texas initiated a similar program in collaboration with UT Tyler, Tyler Junior College, the Tyler Independent School District (ISD) and local supporters. The number of students passing AP examinations with a score of 3 or better increased by 40 percent.

Florida

Florida created a similar initiative in 2001. The state found that AP courses were rarely offered in schools serving low-income populations.Florida, working closely with the College Board, offered incentives similar to those in Texas. State law provides that for each student who scores a 3, 4 or 5 on an AP exam, teachers receive a $50 bonus. The law also provides that AP teachers in a low-performing school (categorized as a "D" or "F" school) who have at least one student scoring a 3 or higher receive a $500 bonus.

Again, the results are significant. Prior to the new initiative, just over 4,000 students in low-performing schools were enrolled in AP courses. By 2002, over 7,000 students were enrolled--an increase of more than 3,000 students in traditionally low-performing high schools who are now able to take these more challenging courses. Gaston Caperton, the president of the College Board, has stated that, "Florida is now the leader in the number of black students taking advanced placement courses."In 2003, there were 5,596 African American public school AP examinees (up 53 percent since 2001 and up 116 percent since 1999) and 12,455 Hispanic public school AP examinees (up 57 percent since 2001 and up 102 percent since 1999). African American students comprise 9.2 percent of all Florida public school AP examinees, up from 8.7 percent in 2002. Hispanics comprise 20.4 percent of all Florida AP examinees, up from 19.4 percent in 2002.