Students in grades 9-12 may participate in Advanced Placement (AP) courses; in addition, a full International Baccalaureate (IB) program is offered at Interlake High School. The chart below shows a history of AP/IB test taking in Bellevue. In contrast to many districts around the country, we encourage all our high schoolers to take AP and/or IB courses. Even with our broad participation, the percentage of AP exams receiving a "passing" score (at least a 3 on the 5-point AP scale) continues to exceed the national average.

According to the College Board, about 15% of high school graduates nationwide earn a passing score on at least one AP exam during high school. In Bellevue, however, a full 66% of our Class of 2011 graduates achieved this distinction. 

Research has shown that passing at least one AP exam in high school positively impacts students' college completion rate (details at the College Board's website). Per the report's summary: "Simply said, a high-quality AP course in high school does an excellent job of fortifying students for a successful transition into the battery of college courses they'll experience in their first semester at college."

The 2011 "Challenge Index," as published by the Washington Post, again ranked all Bellevue schools among the very best schools in the country for AP and IB test taking. Jay Mathews, Washington Post education writer and strong proponent of AP for the majority of our nation's high school students, developed the Challenge Index to showcase school systems that are opening the doors to AP for large numbers of students. The index is not a scientific rating scale. It simply divides the number of AP and IB tests taken at a school by the number of graduates. Mathews maintains that the ratio should be at least one-to-one, that is, at least one test for every graduate.

The table below shows our schools' positions per Jay Mathews' Challenge Index listing of 2010 graduates as reported in the Washington Post in May 2011:

Because our goal is to prepare all students for college success, we also look at the subject areas in which students earn AP credits. Are our students taking challenging coursework in the core areas of English, social studies, math and science in addition to elective subjects such as music, art and languages?

AP Test Taking by Subject: