More high school students signing up to take free college level classes

More than 2,200 Tennessee students signed up to take college level Advanced Placement (AP) courses online this fall through the AP Access for ALL (APAA) program.  That’s an increase of more than 77 percent from the number at the beginning of the 2022/2023 school year.Dekalb County High School student Robert Wheeler is among them.“It’s really opened up a new world of opportunities,” said Wheeler. “We’re from a small, rural school where AP isn’t offered. APAA has shown me what the workload is going to be like in college. Thanks to APAA, I know I’m not going to be overwhelmed next fall since I already have an idea of how my courses are going to go.”The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) partnered with the Niswonger Foundation to create the APAA program three years ago.  It provides free, online AP classes to Tennessee high school students that aren’t available at their local school.Students currently have access to 21 AP courses under the program.“We are thrilled that our school districts, students, and staff are embracing postsecondary readiness through AP Access for ALL,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “This program demonstrates that every student deserves access to college-level coursework, no matter where they go to school.”Prior to the launch of the program just 50 percent of Tennessee high school students had access to an AP course at their school. That number has risen with 97 percent of Tennessee school districts participating in the program.TDOE says students took more than 2,600 AP exams over the last two years, and more than half earned scores considered to be “college ready” or better. That score allows students to bypass entry-level college classes and it’s provided students with $1.2 million in potential college savings."Giving more students in Tennessee the chance to save time and money through AP classes is significant, but what's even more valuable is this program allows students the opportunity to experience college-level coursework and build self-assurance in their capabilities before stepping foot on a college campus," said Gina Pavlovich, Director of AP Access of ALL. “Our goal is to keep growing and leveling the educational playing field in the coming school year.”Student can enroll in the program for the 2024 spring semester beginning in November.