In Gaining or Losing Ground? Equity in Offering Advanced Placement Courses in California High Schools, The Tom-s Rivera Policy Institute of the University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning, and Development found that access to AP courses remains an unlikely opportunity for Black and Latino students and many low-income/rural students regardless of ethnicity. According to the authors, AP courses continue to be an inequitable sorting mechanism that limits some groups' college preparation opportunities. 

 Their analysis of AP courses available to California public school students demonstrates that schools with greater concentrations of students of color continue to lag in their AP course offerings. Yet, AP courses continue to be an important aspect of the college admissions process and an important component of a rich and rigorous high school experience. This scenario depicts a situation where students of color do not have equitable access to a promising educational experience and to equitable post-secondary educational opportunities.

http://www.trpi.org/PDFs/ap_2006.pdf

Published Monday, May. 15, 2006