Dive Brief:

• A new report from the right-leaning DC think-tank the American Enterprise Institute says that Advanced Placement courses have maintained their rigor despite two decades of popularity growth among students. 
• According to data from the College Board, which administers AP classes and also tracks exam-takers, student participation has soared from 330,000 students in 1990 to 2.2 million in 2013.
• Critics say that maintaining high AP course quality isn't as important an issue as access to the tough classes, which suffer from a disproportionate lack of enrollment by black students.

Dive Insight:

The "race gap" that plagues Advanced Placement classes continues, and it's not due to AP coursework offerings. Both bias as well as a lack of readiness play a role, Education Week reports. Two studies from October 2015 found differences in how students of different races or economic backgrounds perform within the same school can contribute more to the achievement gap than differences between schools.

For districts, it's important to keep in mind that the race gap can't be solved with funding alone. It takes a prolonged effort, community buy-in, and the ability to consider new, innovative learning models. 

Recommended Reading

Education Week: Despite Growth, AP Pool Is Not Diluted, Studies Say