Fewer students pass AP classes

BROOKSVILLE For the first time in five years, the number of students in Hernando County able to pass end-of-course exams in Advanced Placement courses for college credit has dropped — with less than half of all test takers able to pass overall.

According to updated AP test results from the state, 488, or 48.6 percent of high school test takers earned a 3 to 5 score last school year — allowing them to earn college credit.

Statewide, 125,803 students, or 42.5 percent, earned a passing score out of 295,778 overall test takers.

In the past three years, between 54 and 51.4 percent of Hernando County students have been unable to earn passing grades on the exam.

State numbers show that between 2006 and 2010, the number of students scoring a 3 to 5 increased from 202 to 513 as more students took the exam.

Last year marks the first time that number has decreased, although the percentage of students who scored a passing grade increased — and has continued to do so by roughly 1 percent every year since 2009.

For each of the high schools, two have shown passing increases while two others decreased compared to prior years.

Weeki Wachee High School doesn't have comparable scores yet due to it opening less than two years ago.

Springstead and Nature Coast Technical high schools increased compared to the 2009-10 school year with 55 percent of passing tests at SHS (compared to 46.7 percent prior) and 61.1 percent of passing AP tests at NCTHS compared to 55.3 percent.

For Central High School, 44.3 percent of students earned a passing grade last school year — a decrease of 6 percent compared to 50.7 percent a year prior. For Hernando High School, 39 percent of tests taken by students were passing grades, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to 2009-10 when 42.9 percent passed.