Wow! Congratulations to the kids and their teachers.

This report uses a score of 3 out of 5 as a passing score. But now, most repectable colleges and universities only award credit for scores of 4 or 5. In some cases, even a 4 will only earn an exemption as oppose to credit. To me, this is just another statistic for people to pat themselves on the back about that does nothing to measure how well our students are prepared for college and work.

Way to go!

Congratulations to the schools, teachers and students! You should be proud, we are!

As a chemistry professor and former academic advisor at 3 universities, I can say that when it comes to the Chemistry AP exam, students who score a 3 or 4 are very well prepared for freshman chemistry and do quite well. Just because the students don't get college credit doesn't mean that taking the AP classes is not wothwhile and that these students (and schools) shouldn't be saluted for their fine work. And here's a personal "Go Poly!" to my alma mater, the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. I wish there had been a chance to take AP courses when I was there 30 years ago.

Can someone please explain why the Governor tried to force Grasmick out of her job???

Maryland's come a long way when it comes to AP. When I transferred to a high school in Baltimore County in 1990 it didn't offer a single AP class. 18 years later the state is #1.

Great News for our Maryland schools!! There are still disparities in Maryland public schools. My child attended Baltimore County public schools for several years. However, I was forced to move to Montgomery County where the schools are "better" because when we changed districts in Baltimore County the new school had many, many deficiencies. School officials and parents and the media should continue to focus on ALL students and ALL schools!!

Great!!! Now let's see how many of those kids can answer simple questions. My child is in an AP history class in one of the above mentioned schools. They still teach to the test instead of actually teaching the subject at hand. When I ask a random question about any event in history that they should have covered, she didn't know the answer. I looked in her book, and at the homework assignments. She's right. They don't teach the subject. It's a crying shame that teaching a test, is considered "learning". Ask one of those kids what December 6 is the anniversary of, and they give you a blank stare. If it wasn't for the supplimental education we gave our kids, they would be clueless. Let us remember, "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

"When I ask a random question about any event in history that they should have covered, she didn't know the answer. I looked in her book, and at the homework assignments. She's right. They don't teach the subject. It's a crying shame that teaching a test, is considered "learning". Ask one of those kids what December 6 is the anniversary of, and they give you a blank stare"

Perhaps you mean December 7th (Pearl Harbor), because I'm not sure which anniversary they should know on December 6th.

In response to "the random question about any event in history." It has been years since teachers forced kids to memorize dates and events. Today kids are taught to think critically about the events and issues that have changed history. These are skills that they can use as they further their education or enter the workforce. Knowing the date of Pearl Harbor (the 7th, not the 6th...read that textbook again) is not going to get them very far. Critical thinking, effective writing, and verbal skills are the tools they need to be successful.

I agree with the last comment. 50% of the AP US History Exam deals with effectively responding to 3 question prompts, using documents, supplying outside factual information, and connecting it all into a coherent argument. There are simply too many facts to "randomly" measure, and we cannot even attempt. There are many things to know-- some are less important than others, and it is more important to be able to construct a chronological understanding overall than it is to remember the specific date.

I agree totally with the Poly alum-- a student who misses the 4 or 5 threshold with a 3 may have to retake a 100 level class in college, but are vastly well prepared. Many of the best universities don't necessarily give credit. Same principle as not allowing transfer credits. There ability to remain viable in their lower level offerings depends on having viable departments full of PhDs and grad students working towards PhD-- who will cut their teeth teaching freshman. But academics understand the value of students who have attempted AP courses-- that just taking them is a reliable predictor of future success.

I agree with the last two posts. Education has changed drastically in the last 20 years. As a veteran teacher, I can tell you that we no longer drill students on rote facts in the education field. In the schools of the millenium, students attain new knowledge through hands-on experiences constructed from good teaching practices. These practices include meticulously planned lessons that help students construct meaning within the context of their prior knowledge. You can Google the date for an event like Pearl Harbor. It is ridiculous to expect every student to remember the exact date of that event, unless it is a salient fact needed for a specific purpose.

Interesting that the editors chose to put into the headline the misinformation that Maryland is #1 AGAIN, since it is clear in reading the College Board report that this was the first time that Md. had ranked #1.

Patrick: The headline refers to the fact that Education Week recently named Maryland schools No. 1 in the nation.

Thanks Sara. But since the reference to Ed Week is not included here it may be a little obscure, no?

This is a great article.