LAUSD students taking AP classes are excelling in record numbers, school district says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's a win the Los Angeles Unified School District hasn't seen since before the pandemic.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the College Board CEO and other school district leadership came together Tuesday to announce the record number of students excelling in AP level courses.

"Out of the 63,000 students who actually sat for an AP exam, those students posted a 124% improvement in passing rates - meaning scores of 3, 4 and 5. That is a stunning accomplishment," Carvalho said at a press conference.

AP stands for advanced placement, which is college level coursework done in high school.

LAUSD says the number of students enrolling and exceeding in AP courses has surpassed pre-pandemic numbers across every subject area in nearly all student groups.

There's been a 12% increase in AP course enrollment since the 2020-21 school year. With 29% of high school students enrolled in at least one AP course in 2024-25. This type of opportunity has allowed high schoolers to earn college credits, including senior Alessandra Rojas, who is enrolled in three AP classes at John Marshall High School.

"It's a public school, but there's a lot of competition, a lot of smart kids here. So having the opportunity to take the AP courses... I feel like it was a really good challenge for me and it also helps me push myself more," said Rojas.

According to the district, the highest improvement was among students with disabilities, who had a 135% increase in AP exams taken since the 2020-21 school year. All student subgroups, except female students, whose enrollment remained steady, saw 3 to 5 percentage point increases in AP participation since 2020 to 2021. There's also been a 50% increase of students enrolling and taking AP exams. The growth reflects expanded access to rigorous coursework across the district.

"There was already a textbook that was like thick and I was scared; I was like do I have to read that whole thing? I was like ok, let's do this and then I got the flow of it, and you really do just get the flow of AP classes," said Joshua Her, a junior at John Marshall High School.

LAUSD says their AP participation is on track to meet their goal of 30% AP enrollment by 2026. All student subgroups increased the percentage of exams, earning a 3 or higher by 8 to 19 percentage points since 2020 to 2021.

The district emphasized that AP classes are free and open to any students who are interested in college readiness.