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ABSTRACT
In this investigation, we analyzed the cost effectiveness of overall Advanced Placement exam performance of Hispanic students who resided in three states: California, Texas, and Arizona from the 1997 through the 2012 school years. Taking into consideration the 2012 cost of taking an Advanced Placement exam (i.e., $89), passing scores of 3, 4, and 5, and failing scores of 1 and 2, we calculated the cost effectiveness of monies spent on Advanced Placement exams for each of the 1997 through 2012 school years. These cost effectiveness ratios were negative for each state and has become increasingly more negative over this time period. As such, we contend that educational leaders re-evaluate their use of school monies to pay for their students' AP exams.
Keywords: Advanced Placement, Hispanic students, California, Texas, Arizona
Hispanics represent the fastest growing minority group in the United States (Ennis, Rios-Vargas, & Albert, 2011). In fact, the Hispanic population increased from 22 million in 1990 to 50.5 million in 2010 (Ennis et al., 2011). According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Hispanics account for 16% of the total U.S. population. The Hispanic population is diverse and varies by country of origin; for example, 63% are of Mexican origin, 9% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 4% are of Cuban origin (Ennis et al., 2011). Moreover, the Hispanic population fluctuates by geographical region and is concentrated in states bordering Mexico (Hemphill & Vanneman, 2011). Consequently, almost two-thirds of the Hispanic population of Mexican origin, residing in the United States, is residents of California, Texas, and Arizona (Ennis et al., 2011).
Nationwide, currently more than 11 million Hispanic students are enrolled in U.S. public schools (Fry & Gonzales, 2008; Murdock, 2011). Murdock (2011) and Passell (2011) predicted that in the next 40 years, immigrants and their children would provide for almost all of the growth in the labor force. Unfortunately, numerous researchers (e.g., American College Testing [ACT], 2007; Kober, 2001; Rojas-LeBouef & Slate, 2011) have documented the existence of an achievement gap between White and Hispanic students in reading and math. Moreover, the achievement gaps exist at all levels of the educational system. Specifically, White students outperform Hispanic students at elementary, intermediate, and high school levels (Murphy, 2009; Rojas-LeBouef & Slate, 2011). Consequently,...