Automatic enrollment is a straightforward education reform that facilitates both educational excellence and equity in K-12 schools. By automatically placing highly qualified students in advanced coursework, this low-cost, bi-partisan strategy creates opportunities for high achievement for all students, with low-income, rural and small town, and…

Students in Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) continue to score well on AP exams with an increased percentage of students enrolling in the courses. As in past years, in 2013 the district had higher average AP exam scores compared to the state and the nation. WCPSS had 76.6% of scores 3 or higher in 2013 (qualified and above). Again in both 2012…

One method of delivering college-level coursework to high school students is through the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Many colleges and universities provide credit to students who earn a qualifying score on any of the 34 available AP exams offered by the College Board. All qualified comprehensive high schools in the Wake County Public School…

In the 2012/13 school year American Indian students accounted for 1.1 percent of K-12 students nationwide and 1.4 percent of K-12 students in North Carolina (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Research has identified substantial achievement gaps between American Indian and other students on national tests, in graduation rates, and in…

Analysis of WCPSS' 2009-10 AP reports from the College Board reveal that the number and proportion of WCPSS students taking AP courses and exams continues to grow. Between 1996-97 and 2009-10, the number of students enrolled in WCPSS grew by approximately 63% and the number taking AP exams increased by 238% with a corresponding increase in exams…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…

Through their participation in a seventh-grade talent search in 1996-1997, students qualified to attend a summer program at Duke University's Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). of the North Carolina students in this group, some attended at least one summer program in middle school and others had qualified for but did not attend a summer…

Policymakers and education leaders in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have been working since 2002 to meet all 12 "Challenge to Lead" Goals for Education. At the same time, SREB states have had to struggle with the toughest economic challenges in decades. Even so, SREB states have succeeded in achieving many of the goals…

In 2003-04, 11 Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) high schools moved from a traditional student schedule of six full-year courses to a block schedule of four courses each semester (4x4). Implementation went fairly smoothly, with 90% of teachers trained prior to the change. Academic course opportunities and course enrollment numbers increased…