Boston Public Schools Reports Record Growth in Advanced Placement Participation and Student Success

District has increased qualifying AP scores by 65% since 2022, with nearly two-thirds of exams earning college-credit qualifying scores.

Boston Public Schools Reports Record Growth in Advanced Placement Participation and Student Success

District has increased qualifying AP scores by 65% since 2022, with nearly two-thirds of exams earning college-credit qualifying scores

BOSTON – July 15, 2026 – Boston Public Schools (BPS) reports continued growth in Advanced Placement (AP) participation and student success. The 2026 AP Score Reports released by College Board show gains in access to college-level coursework and strong performance on AP exams.

This year, 4,069 BPS students participated in Advanced Placement coursework and took 7,277 AP exams across 24 district schools. Of those exams, 4,665 earned a qualifying score of 3 or higher, resulting in a 64% districtwide qualifying rate. Today, 30% of all BPS students in grades 9–12 take at least one AP exam.

Since 2022, AP participation has increased by 25%, while the number of qualifying scores has grown by 65%, raising the district’s overall qualifying rate from 50% to 64%. The number of AP exams taken has also increased by 29% over the same period.

“This year’s AP results demonstrate the impact of our commitment to expanding access to rigorous academic opportunities through initiatives like AP Access for All,” said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. “We are seeing the highest AP participation levels and the highest percentage of students earning qualifying scores in BPS history, showing that when we remove barriers and provide students with the right supports, they rise to meet the challenge. More students than ever are enrolling in college-level coursework, earning college-credit qualifying scores, and building the confidence, skills, and knowledge needed for success beyond high school. I am grateful to our educators, school leaders, students, and families for their continued commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.”

The district’s continued growth builds on years of strategic investment in expanding AP access through initiatives such as AP Access for ALL, increasing course offerings, strengthening teacher professional development, and providing students with additional academic supports, including mock exams and test preparation resources. These efforts have helped more students enroll in Advanced Placement courses and improve student achievement.

The 2026 results also show expanded access across student groups. Since 2022, AP participation has increased by 54% among Hispanic/Latino students and 42% among Black students, reflecting the district’s commitment to more students engaging in rigorous coursework and earning college credit while still in high school.

“Expanding access is only meaningful if students are equipped to succeed once they enter these courses,” said Deputy Superintendent of Academics Dr. Simone Wright. “The steady increase in qualifying scores shows that our instructional priorities, educator support, and intentional focus on academic excellence are helping students build the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to thrive in college-level coursework.”

BPS continues to broaden Advanced Placement opportunities across its high schools. Between 2018 and 2025, the district increased AP course offerings by 20%, and students now have access to a growing range of subjects, including AP African American Studies, one of the district’s most popular newer courses. Several schools also plan to introduce AP Business and Financial Literacy and AP Cybersecurity in the coming school year.

“Every AP classroom represents an opportunity for a student to discover what’s possible for their future,” said Assistant Superintendent of the Office of College, Career & Life Readiness Brett Dickens. “Whether students are earning college credit, strengthening their college applications, or developing the critical thinking and perseverance needed after graduation, these experiences prepare them to confidently pursue their next steps. We’re proud that more Boston students than ever are taking advantage of these opportunities.”

Earlier this year, BPS, alongside the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, hosted an Advanced Placement roundtable at TechBoston Academy, where Mayor Michelle Wu, Commissioner Pedro Martinez, Superintendent Mary Skipper, and BPS students discussed the impact of AP coursework on college readiness and personal growth. During the conversation, students reflected on how Advanced Placement courses helped them build critical skills such as resilience, time management, self-confidence, and academic perseverance while encouraging more of their peers to challenge themselves through rigorous coursework. The 2026 AP results demonstrate that these investments in expanding access and supporting student success are translating into measurable outcomes across the district.

Accessibility Statement

The Boston School Committee and Boston Public Schools are committed to providing all users of their website, including users with disabilities, with meaningful access to its contents in this online environment. The Boston School Committee and Boston Public Schools follow standards that are generally based on those used by the federal government for technology accessibility for individuals with disabilities and web content accessibility guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The Boston School Committee and Boston Public Schools’ website is regularly tested and reviewed by users to verify that the website is compliant with applicable standards.

Efforts To Support Accessibility

BPS takes the following measures to ensure accessibility:

Standards: We aim to conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
Active Monitoring: We use the AudioEye Digital Accessibility Platform to provide real-time accessibility remediation and continuous monitoring of our website.
The AudioEye Toolbar: To assist users with diverse needs, we provide the AudioEye "Ally" Toolbar, which allows for visual customizations (for instance, font sizing, color contrast, and focus indicators) and site-wide navigation aids.

Third-Party Platforms & External Links

While BPS utilizes AudioEye for technical accessibility and Weglot for automated language translation on our primary domain, some BPS services are hosted on third-party platforms such as ParentSquare and Google Forms.

Please be aware that:

Tool Availability: The AudioEye toolbar and Weglot translation menu may not be available or function the same way on these external sites.
Translation Continuity: When you leave the BPS website to fill out a Google Form or log into ParentSquare, the content may revert to English or require you to use the external platform's native translation settings.
Independent Standards: These platforms maintain their own accessibility features, translation logic, and privacy compliance standards.
Alternative Formats: BPS periodically reviews the accessibility of these vendors; however, if you encounter a language barrier or an accessibility issue on a third-party form or portal, please contact the Office of Communications at communications@bostonpublicschools.org so that we can provide an alternative format (for instance, a paper form, a human-translated document, or phone assistance).

Linguistic Accessibility & Translation

In our commitment to serving all members of our community, the BPS website integrates Weglot, an automated translation service. Users can select their preferred language from the menu at the top of the page to translate website content instantly. Please note that these are machine-generated translations provided as a convenience. While we strive for accuracy, automated translations may vary in precision. If there is a discrepancy between the English version and a translated version, the English version shall prevail as the official text.

Portable Document Format

Some documents on the Boston School Committee and Boston Public Schools website are produced in portable document format (PDF). In order to improve viewing these files, please download the latest version of Abode Reader, which is available for free at the Adobe website. Alternative accessible formats also are provided, where possible, most commonly through a text or an HTML file.

Contacting the Web Administrator

If assistance is needed in accessing material on the BPS website, please contact the Office of Communications at communications@bostonpublicschools.org.