Indicator: Access to early college coursework Breadcrumb Home Indicators Access To Early College Coursework Definition Students have access to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment courses. Recommended Metric(s) Number of AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses offered, overall and by subjectView CEDS ConnectionNumber of AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses offered, overall and by subjectCEDS Connections offer guidance, including data elements and step-by-step analysis recommendations, for how to calculate select metrics.Percentage of students in an early college course who take the relevant end-of-course test needed to earn credit (for example, AP or IB test), overall and by subjectView CEDS ConnectionPercentage of students in an early college course who take the relevant end-of-course test needed to earn credit (for example, AP or IB test), overall and by subjectCEDS Connections offer guidance, including data elements and step-by-step analysis recommendations, for how to calculate select metrics. Type(s) of Data Needed Administrative data Why it matters Many students lack access to early college coursework in high school, despite its importance for college admissions and success.1, 2, 3 A nationwide analysis found that Black and Latino students are not equitably represented in advanced courses, and that these disparities relate to whether schools offer these courses and the number of seats available in them.4 Another nationwide study found that Black and Indigenous students had significantly less access to AP coursework than their peers, based on the number of AP courses offered and the size of the student body in their schools. Inequitable access to early college courses is compounded by inequitable access to the end-of-course tests students need to pass to earn college credit.5 According to the College Board, a typical AP exam fee in 2022 was $96, or $62 for eligible students from low-income households.6 Just 29 states provide additional support to cover these costs.7 For every 1,000 White students in the United States, 185 enroll in an AP course and 139 take an AP test. In contrast, for every 1,000 Black students, 105 take an AP course and 73 take an AP test.8 What to know about measurement Districts record information about the courses and programs offered in schools as part of their regular operations, and report school-level data to Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) on the number of AP courses offered at each high school. For students who take AP and IB tests, high schools receive reports of their students’ exam scores and can use this information to calculate the percentage of students in early college courses who take the tests.9, 10To better assess whether students have equitable access to these opportunities, we recommend measuring the number of courses offered and the share of students taking the tests overall and by subject (rather than measuring only whether a school offers any early college courses). These school-level data should be disaggregated by schools’ demographic characteristics and examined alongside data on course participation captured in early college coursework completion in the Outcomes and Milestones section of this chapter. E-W Case Studies Image From Data to Action: Nebraska’s Blueprint for Education and Workforce Success Through its robust research framework and innovative data visualizations, Nebraska's NSWERS system transforms complex data into actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and families. View Case Study Source frameworks Six source frameworks reviewed for this report, including the Urban Institute’s Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools (REMIQS) framework and National Education Association’s Great Public Schools Indicators Framework, discussed the importance of early college course access and completion, including access to and enrollment in AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses. References 9College Board. (2022b). Who receives my scores? https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/faqs/who-receives-my-scores10International Baccalaureate. (2021). Getting results. https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/getting-results/1Horn, L. J., & Kojaku, L. K. (2001). High school academic curriculum and the persistence path through college: Persistence and transfer behavior of undergraduates 3 years after entering 4 year institutions. National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=20011632Warburton, E. C., Bugarin, R., Nuñez, A. M., & Carroll, C. D. (2001). Bridging the gap: Academic preparation and postsecondary success of first-generation students. National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2001/2001153.pdf3Allen, D., & Dadgar, M. (2012). Does dual enrollment increase students’ success in college? Evidence from a quasi-experimental analysis of dual enrollment in New York City. New Directions for Higher Education, 2012(158), 11–19. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ9710104Patrick, K., Socol, A., & Morgan, I. (2020). Inequities in advanced coursework: What’s driving them and what leaders can do. Education Trust. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED6031955Chatterji, R., Quirk, A., & Campbell, N. (2021). Closing advanced coursework equity gaps for all students. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/closing-advanced-coursework-equity-gaps-students/6College Board. (2022a). Exam fees. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/exam-policies-guidelines/exam-fees#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20significant%20financial,fee%20reduction%20per%20AP%20Exam7Education Commission of the States. (2022). Advanced placement: Subsidies for testing fees. https://ecs.secure.force.com/mbdata/MBQuestRT?Rep=AP05168See Chatterji et al. (2021).