2024 Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Course Enrollment, Exam Participation, and Performance among High School Students in Montgomery County Public Schools. Memorandum

Abstract

This memorandum provides information on Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) course enrollment, exam participation, and exam performance during the 2023-2024 school year. During the 2023-2024 school year, 136 AP or IB courses were offered across high schools. Among the 25 comprehensive high schools, all offered AP courses, while 8 provided IB programs. Notably, 15 of the 25 high schools offered 30 or more AP/IB courses. The schools with the greatest number of AP/IB course offerings included Bethesda-Chevy Chase (64 courses), John F. Kennedy (59 courses), and Richard Montgomery (70 courses) high schools. Districtwide, 49.3% of high school students enrolled in at least one AP or IB course in 2024. The AP/IB course enrollment rate increased from 47.6% in 2022 to 48.4% in 2023 and went up to 49.3% in 2024. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) high school students took 40,448 AP exams in 2024, an increase of 7,157 from 2022. The percentage of AP exams taken by students achieving a score of 3 or higher was 76.0% in 2024, a 3.6 percentage-point increase from 2022. IB participation has demonstrated an upward trend in the last three years, starting at 2,992 in 2022 and increasing to 4,060 in 2024. The percentage of IB exams taken by students earning a score of 4 or higher was 63.1% in 2024, marking a notable decline from 82.5% in 2022.