Significantly Higher Costs
Generally speaking, Advanced Placement
classes are far more expensive to operate than regular high school
classes because of the higher salaries given to teachers who are
qualified to instruct these classes, the smaller class size that is
typical of AP programs, and the higher cost of AP books and other
materials.
The
following example illustrates these cost discrepancies. The typical
high school math instructor (who might teach, for example, algebra
or geometry) has, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree in mathematics
or math education and some teaching credential. In contrast,
because an AP calculus class would require a higher understanding
of complex mathematical concepts, a qualified AP math teacher would
typically have a master's degree or perhaps even a Ph.D. In 2002,
an entry-level teacher with a bachelor's degree, teaching in a
large urban school district, earned an average of $31,567 per year.
In contrast, a highly educated teacher with a master's degree and
additional graduate training--a likely candidate to teach AP
classes-- might earn as much as $53,248 per year.
As
noted, AP classes are also more expensive to operate because the
average size of an AP class is somewhat smaller than the standard
high school class. While there are about 17 students in the typical
AP class, there are
nearly 24 students in the typical public secondary-school
classroom.
Additionally, as noted by the President,
many high school teachers need supplementary training to achieve
the competency needed to teach AP courses. Indeed, most of the
proposed $28 million increase would be designated for
teacher-training activities.
Taking into account differences in the
average class size and teacher's pay, the cost of the typical AP
class is more than twice that of the average non-AP high school
class, even if it is assumed that the costs of textbooks and class
materials would be the same for both types of courses.
Nevertheless, increasing numbers of
low-income students have taken AP tests in recent years. This is
due, in part, to the Advanced Placement Incentive Program Grants
and the Advanced Placement Test Fee Program (which pays a portion
of the AP test fee for low-income students), as well as to various
state and local incentives. In 1999, fewer than 93,000 low-income
students took AP tests; by 2002, that figure had increased to more
than 140,000--an increase of more than 50 percent. Even so, this
represents only about 9 percent of the total AP tests taken in
2002. Compared with
higher-income peers, far fewer low-income students are taking AP
tests.
This
discrepancy is likely the result of two factors. First, there is a
well-documented academic achievement gap between low-income
students and their more affluent peers. For example, according to
the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2002, only
about 1 percent of the 12th grade students who qualified for free
or reduced-price lunches exhibited an advanced level of proficiency
in reading, compared to nearly 5 percent of students from
higher-income families. These high-achieving students would be
the most likely to benefit from rigorous college-level classes.
A
second, and related, reason for the discrepancy in the numbers of
Advanced Placement students from different income levels is that
the demand for AP classes in low-income areas may not be sufficient
to justify the costs of the program at individual schools. In
low-income areas, only a few students may have the aptitude
necessary to benefit from rigorous AP classes. As noted above, the
nationwide average AP class size is about 17 students. Cost
concerns are augmented by the fact that, in low-income schools,
even fewer students may be sufficiently advanced to qualify for AP
classes, thereby increasing the per-pupil expenditures for these
students.
Duplication of Effort
In
addition to the high costs associated with AP programs, another
drawback is that these courses may duplicate classes that are
currently being offered in institutions of higher education.
Indeed, the point of the AP program, according to the College
Board, is to "get a head start on exactly the sort of work you will
confront in college." Classes similar to the ones in the AP
program can be found at virtually all of the nearly 2,100 community
colleges and state universities across America.
For
the most part, these institutions of higher education already have
the infrastructure to offer these types of classes, and they exist
in close proximity to high school students--especially those in
low-income urban areas. In short, expanding AP programs would tend
to duplicate the kinds of classes that are already available at a
broad range of colleges and universities throughout the nation.
Limited Reach of the Advanced Placement
Incentive Program
A
final--and key--policy question in evaluating the AP Incentive
Grant Program versus other alternatives is: How many students does
the program serve? A corollary question is: How far is the reach of
the program in terms of the potential population of students
served?
There is reason to believe that estimates
of the numbers of students who would benefit from the Advanced
Placement Incentive Program have been overestimated. The estimates
are based on the assumption that the program would benefit two
groups of students: those who are directly served through newly
formed AP classes and those who are not in the AP classes but would
benefit indirectly through the increased teacher training provided
by the program. Estimates from the U.S. Department of Education peg
the total number of beneficiaries of this program at approximately
370,000 students attending 550 middle schools and high schools.
This
estimate assumes that all students in a given school benefit from
the existence of AP classes. Applying this premise, a remedial
student is counted as a beneficiary of the program, as is an
advanced student enrolled in an AP class. This clearly overstates
the program's reach. A more accurate estimate would define the
beneficiaries of the AP Incentive Program as the high achievers
taking AP classes, as opposed to the entire student population of a
school.
Currently, the AP Incentive Grant program
offers tutoring and summer enrichment programs for students, as
well as teacher training. Overall, however, the AP Incentive
Program has a limited reach because of the program's relatively
small dollar funding. Over the 2002-2003 time frame, the AP
Incentive Program funded only 35 projects, with most funding going to individual
school districts and a few state education agencies.