BOISE DISTRICT AP EXAMS, STUDENT PARTICIPATION REACH NEW HIGHS (AGAIN)

Boise District students took 35% of the statewide Advanced Placement tests in 2016, setting a new high of just less than 4000 exams. District students represent about 9% of the statewide student population.

In the past twenty years, the exam total has grown from just over 500 to 3963, growth of almost 800%.

Student participation has increased in similar fashion, as well. In 1995, 203 students took at least one Advanced Placement exam. In 2016, 1992 students did so. 30% of the statewide student participation came from the Boise District.

The District Advanced Placement program began at Boise High School in 1980, under the leadership of Principal Jack Craven. It has since spread across the District to all 4 comprehensive high schools. Boise High still has the highest participation and gives the most exams (13% of the state total in 2016).

Though Boise High had the highest percentage of its students taking an AP exam in 2016 (44%), Timberline has made great gains - 40% of the student population took at least one exam in 2016. Borah and Capital were at 31% and 29%, respectively, in 2016.

It's interesting to note that the 3 most popular AP courses (and tests) satisfy graduation requirements in the Boise District and for the state. For example, AP English Language satisfies the junior English requirement, AP English Literature the senior English requirement, and AP US History the junior Social Studies requirement. AP Calculus AB satisfies one of the three required math courses, as well. The true electives on the "most popular" list are AP World History, AP Psychology, and AP Human Geography. 

In those three courses, Boise students take a much higher percentage of statewide AP exams. In World History, 51% of the state's exams were taken by Boise students, in Psychology 66%, and in Human Geography, 86%.