Blair Advanced Placement exam scores high

Blair students scored well on the 2001-2002 Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

According to guidance counselor Alan Campbell, 92% of Blair students' scores were 3 or above. "92% is pretty good," he said. The total number of Maryland students scoring 3 or above was 68.4%.

Campbell said that 74.7% of all scores were 4 or above, and 47.7% of scores were 5's.

Statewide, 36.8% of test-takers identifying themselves as "Black/African American" scored 3 or higher; 67.6% of test-takers identifying themselves as Latino (all categories) scored 3 or more. Nationally, the numbers are 31.2% and 52.5%, respectively. These calculations do not include students who chose "Other" as their race or did not mark their race.

Results for Blair broken down by magnet/CAP/on-level groupings and racial groupings were unavailable.

AP exams are administered each May by the College Board, which claims that AP courses correspond to introductory-level college courses.

The highest possible AP score is 5, which is the equivalent of "extremely well qualified" according to the College Board. The lowest possible score is 1, which is the equivalent of no recommendation. Many colleges give students credits, exemptions, or other benefits for scores of 3 or higher on an AP exam.

According to the College Board, a student who earns a 5 on an AP exam would receive an A in the corresponding college course, a student who earns a 4 would get a B, and so on.