| The national College Board's | | | | percentage of Latino students |
| 2007Advanced Placement Report to the | | | | represented in Florida Schools has |
| Nation brought good news to Florida | | | | increased in relation to their overall |
| Schools. Findings from the organization | | | | percentage of attendance. According to |
| reported overall improvements for high | | | | College Board President Gaston Caperton, |
| schools students achieving high rated | | | | "Florida is one state that has |
| Advanced Placement test scores. | | | | dramatically expanded AP participation |
| Nationally, 14.8% of students taking | | | | and improved performance among Latino |
| Advanced Placement (AP) exams scored a 3 | | | | students. In Florida, the percentage of |
| or higher in 2006, up 14.1% from 2005. | | | | AP students who are Latino actually |
| Educators in the Florida Schools viewed | | | | exceeds the percentage of students that |
| this report with interest for a couple | | | | are Latino in the population." |
| of reasons. First of all, Florida | | | | State funding is used to give Florida |
| Schools are interested in the | | | | Schools professional teacher |
| accompanying study that reports a strong | | | | development. And the Florida Schools use |
| correlation between students who take AP | | | | PSAT/NSMQT scores to identify |
| courses in high school and experience | | | | potentially successful AP students. |
| academic success in college. Secondly, | | | | Finally, Florida Schools awards |
| Florida Schools ranked well in most | | | | educators for high student achievement |
| areas of the report. | | | | on the AP exams. |
| Florida Schools ranked 7th in the nation | | | | Along with California, New York, and |
| for states with the largest percentage | | | | Texas, the Florida Schools have more |
| of seniors scoring a 3 or better on | | | | schools cited in the report than any |
| their AP exams. 19.8% of AP students in | | | | other states. Cypress Bay High School in |
| the Florida Schools achieved this goal. | | | | Weston, Florida and Thomas Jefferson |
| Top scorer New York State had 22.7% of | | | | High School for Science and Technology |
| its AP students in this upper echelon. | | | | in Alexandria, Virginia received the |
| Florida Schools also were in the top | | | | most mentions of all high schools in the |
| five states to show the most improvement | | | | nation. Despite on-going challenges to |
| in AP scores between 2000 and 2006. | | | | meet the needs of a state full of |
| Finally, the College Board recognized | | | | diversity and challenges, Florida |
| Florida Schools as one of the top | | | | Schools are clearly making strides |
| achievers in eliminating equity gaps of | | | | towards their goals. |
| Latino students. This means that the | | | | |