March 18, 2021 – Duval County Public Schools students are increasingly using their high school years to complete rigorous, college-level work through the district’s accelerated programs.
The percentage of students earning college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams jumped 7.8% last school year.
With that jump and the district’s other college acceleration programs, almost four out of every five district high school students graduate with college credit on their transcript. Just the AP credits alone equate to more than $1 million of potential college expense savings for last year’s graduating seniors.
“Public high schools are increasingly looking like the first year or more of college for almost all of our students,” said Dr. Diana Greene, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. “That means our work in middle school and earlier is preparing students for the rigor of college and all the opportunities college brings.”
Passing rates for black and Hispanic students also continue to increase, with Hispanic students now surpassing the success rate of their white peers.
“With almost 6,000 students a year graduating with college credit, our public schools are creating more opportunity for students to pursue college and high-wage careers,” Dr. Greene said. “That’s great news for students and parents and for employers in our region.”
