A multi-year comparison of Advanced Placement scores for Black students in Texas, New York, and Florida

Purpose: The first purpose of this study was to investigate the overall differences in AP exam scores among Black students in three researcher-selected states (i.e., Texas, New York, and Florida). The second purpose was to explore differences in AP exam outcomes among Black students in Texas, New York, and Florida for English, mathematics, and science courses (i.e., mean AP exam scores in English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Biology). The third and final purpose of this study was to determine the cost effectiveness of covering AP exam fees by comparing the success value provided by AP exam outcomes to test expenditures. Archival data from the College Board were analyzed to compare Black students' performance on the five aforementioned AP exams administered from 1997 through 2012.;Methodology: A nonexperimental, causal-comparative research design was used to compare the AP exam performance of Black students in Texas, New York, and Florida. Archival data for the 1997 through the 2012 school years were retrieved from the College Board website. Pearson chi-square tests were implemented to ascertain whether statistically significant differences in AP exam score distributions were present among Black students in Texas, New York, and Florida in their overall performance as well as on specific AP English, mathematics, and science exams.;Findings: With respect to the comparisons of overall AP exam scores, all analyses were statistically significant, indicating that scores for Black students differed by state of residency. For 57 of the 90 individual AP exam comparisons, statistically significant differences were present. On the majority of the exams, Black students in New York earned the highest percentage of AP exam scores at or above 3. With the exception of Calculus BC, the majority of the cost effectiveness ratios for Black students in Texas, New York, and Florida were negative. Subsequently, Black students' performance on most of the exams did not yield a good return on the investment for the exam fees. Thus, monies in exam fees were ill spent. Implications for policy regarding use of AP as an avenue for preparing students for college are discussed.;KEY WORDS: Advanced Placement, Black students, Achievement gap, College readiness, Critical race theory, Human capital theory.