The Indiana AP Initiative  

In order to encourage student participation in rigorous high school math and science courses, the 1990 Indiana General Assembly required public high schools to offer Advanced Placement courses in science and math. The initiative is working: More Indiana students are taking AP courses and AP Examinations. In 1990, the last year students paid for examinations, 2333 AP Examinations were taken in Indiana with only 669 examinations in mathematics and science. In 1996, the total was 14,263, of which approximately 10,000 were in subjects supported by the state. In 1996, Indiana ranked 27th in the nation in AP Examinations per 1000 11th and 12th grade students (97 examinations per 1000 students). 
 
Unfortunately, the achievement of Indiana students on AP Examinations is much lower than the national average. The results for the chemistry examination are tabulated in the following table. As may be seen, the percentage of well qualified and extremely well qualified Indiana students is only about one-fourth of the national average and the mean score of Indiana students on the chemistry examination is almost one point lower than the national average (on a scale from 1 - 5). In 1996, the mean score of all AP Examinations taken by Indiana students in all disciplines was the lowest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 
 

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