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.

Boston Public Schools:
2025 School Climate Survey Results

The BPS Climate and Culture survey, administered annually, provides valuable feedback from students, family, and staff members across the city on the successes and areas for growth. In total, this year’s survey captured the feedback of 23,629 students, 5,968 teachers and educational staff, and 13,129 family members. Student participation (72%) remained consistent between spring 2024 and spring 2025; teacher participation increased by 4 percentage points to 80% in spring 2025; and the rates of participation for families with a current English Learner (32% of respondents) and a student with disabilities (25% of respondents) are generally comparable to their representation in the district.

The 2025 survey results convey a story of increased family perceptions and improved perception from students about support staff and the value of school. However, results continue to highlight school safety and student belonging as areas for growth.

Highlights of the Survey Results:

Family perception increased for all topics in 2025, with the greatest gain seen in the topic of school safety.
Staff and teacher perceptions increased or remained consistent for all topics. Particularly, staff and teacher perception of School Climate increased by 4 percentage points. Staff and teachers also reported seeing fewer incidents of students engaged in bullying behaviors.
84% of teachers reported they feel ready to fully support all learners.
Students in grades 6-12 students reported higher levels of staff support and school value (both up 6 percentage points).
Of concern, 21% of students in grades 6-12 report that they “do not belong at all” or “belong a little bit” in their schools. Similarly, school safety for students in grades 6-12 dropped from 61% to 58%.
At the elementary level, 26% of students shared that they frequently worry about physical violence at school

Student Perceptions

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ	Most Favorable Topic (% favorable response)	Least Favorable Topic (% favorable responses)
3 - 5	Valuing of School (67%) - How much students feel that school is interesting, important, and useful	School Safety (53%) - Perceptions of student physical and psychological safety at school
6 - 12	Cultural Awareness and Action (60%) - How often students learn about, discuss, and confront issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in school	Sense of Belonging (48%) - How much students feel that they are valued members of the school community

Chart depicting school safety favorable responses by race

Chart depicting sense of belonging favorable responses by race

Students in grades 3-5 have higher sense of belonging responses (59%) compared to their peers in grade 6-12 (48%), but grades 6-12 have higher school safety responses (58%) compared to grade 3-5 (53%). Black and Latinx students responded less favorably about their School Safety and Sense of Belonging compared to their peers. This trend is also true for current English Learners perception on School Safety.

Teachers and Staff Perceptions

	Most Favorable Topic (% favorable response)	Least Favorable Topic (% favorable responses)
Teachers	Educating All Students (84%) – Perceptions of teacher readiness to fully support all learners	Peer Victimization (60%) – Perceptions of how often students engaged in bullying behavior
Staff	Staff–Family Relationships (64%) – Perceptions of staff relationships with the families at their school	Peer Victimization (59%) – Perceptions of how often students engaged in bullying behavior

Chart depicting teacher favorable response by topic

Chart depicting staff favorable response by topic

Chart depicting teacher favorable responses by grade level taught

Teacher and staff perception on all topics improved from Spring 2024 to 2025. Early education and elementary teachers had more favorable perceptions across surveyed topics as compared to high school and middle school teachers.

Teachers identifying as Latinx or Black had more favorable perceptions than average across most topics; and teachers with 25+ years of experience responded more favorably than average across all topics, most notably in School Climate (73% versus 62% district average).

Family Perceptions

Most Favorable Topic (% favorable response)	Least Favorable Topic (% favorable responses)
School Climate (82%) - Perception of overall social and learning climate of the school	Cultural Awareness and Action (70%) - How often students learn about, discuss, and confront issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in school

Chart depicting family favorable responses by student status

Families of students with a 504 plan responded less favorably across all topics compared to district average. Families of English Learners responded more favorably across almost all topics, with the exception of School Safety (4 percentage points lower than average). In general, families of grades PK-3 had more positive than average perceptions across almost all topics, while those of grades 9-12 had lower perceptions.

Additional Information

Schools with less than 30% participation on an individual survey’s results are not displayed. Group sizes of less than 10 are also masked to maintain confidentiality. For more information, please contact surveys@bostonpublicschools.org.

Boston Public Schools: 2025 School Climate Survey Results

Boston Public Schools:
2025 School Climate Survey Results