Advanced Placement Human Geography Exam Participation and Performance in Texas School Districts

Abstract

Texas is the state with the largest number of students taking the Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography exam. State policy allows schools to offer AP Human Geography in ninth grade as a substitute for the on-level World Geography Studies course. AP’s growth in Texas has been driven by state policy that financially incentivizes students, teachers, and schools to participate in the program. This article examines changes in the geographic distribution of AP Human Geography course offerings and exam results in school districts across the state. Using data provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), AP Human Geography exam participation rates and scores were mapped for the period from 2014 to 2019. The results show the number of districts with low rates of qualifying scores has increased in each participation category with fifty-seven additional low-qualifying districts in 2019 compared to 2014. Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps exist in many schools, calling into question the inequitable impacts of the state’s AP incentives and the practice of using AP Human Geography as a warmup AP course. Texas school districts should improve the preparation of students for advanced course work. Researchers can further explore district-level AP participation and performance through case studies and other methods.

Key Words:

• AP access
• AP effectiveness
• AP incentives
• geography education
• high schools

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s site at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2023.2287175

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael A. Scholz

MICHAEL A. SCHOLZ is an Associate Professor of Geography and Geography Program Coordinator, Winona State University, Winona, MN 55987. E-mail: [email protected]. He teaches six different geography courses in human, regional, and physical geography. His research interests are in the AP Human Geography course, spatial thinking, curriculum and instruction, international education, and human migration.

Ruojing W. Scholz

RUOJING W. SCHOLZ is a Research Analyst Specialist in geographic information systems (GIS) in the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), St. Paul, MN 55155. E-mail: [email protected]. She conducts GIS training for MnDOT employees and completes GIS projects in roadway linear referencing systems. She also helps with organizational GIS data, maps, and applications governance and standards for MnDOT.

Michael Solem

MICHAEL SOLEM is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include geography curriculum and assessment studies, teacher education, faculty development, and geography in higher education.