Florida Ranks 4th in Nation for Student Success in Advanced Placement Classes

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Florida has moved up two slots, to No. 4, nationwide for percentage of high school graduates in 2012 who had passed at least one Advanced Placement (AP) course during their four years of study.

AP classes are taken for college credit. In addition to receiving a normal letter grade from the school, students take an exam, administered by the College Board, which is scored on a scale from 1 through 5. A score of 3 is generally considered passing for purposes of college credit.

According to theCollege Board's 9^thannual "AP Report to the Nation,"27.3 percent of Florida students left high school in 2012 with a 3-or-higher AP score, compared with just under 24 percent for the Class of 2011. This year's national average is just 19.5 percent.