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CHICAGO (AP) — Data released by the state show participation in Advanced Placement classes has surged in Illinois in the past five years, while passing rates on AP exams have slipped.
The AP results for public high schools were obtained through public records law and analyzed by the Chicago Tribune (http://trib.in/1R9wswr). About 95,000 students took some 176,000 AP exams in May, with nearly 40 percent of exams scoring below a 3. A 3 or above is considered passing on the exams' 5-point scale.
The number of AP test takers has risen by 36 percent since 2011. The state's passing rate for public schools was 62.8 percent for 2015, the lowest in the last five years.
A new Illinois law taking effect next school year requires public universities and community colleges to give college credit for getting at least a 3 on AP exams.
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