AP® Reading Draws 11,000 College and High School Faculty to Score More than 3.7 Million AP Exams

NEW YORK — This month, more than 11,000 college faculty and high school teachers from across all 50 states and abroad will convene for the annual AP Reading, during which the free-response sections of more than 3.7 million AP Exams in 34 AP^® subjects will be evaluated and scored. The AP Reading sites for 2012 are the Kentucky International Convention Center (Louisville, KY); the Kansas City Convention Center (Kansas City, MO); the Duke Energy Convention Center (Cincinnati, OH); and the Salt Palace Convention Center (Salt Lake City, UT).

“We rely on the expertise of this outstanding group of educators to uphold the gold standard of AP,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of the Advanced Placement Program and College Readiness at the College Board. “Colleges and universities around the world recognize the rigor of AP’s college-level courses and exams, and much of the credit goes to these dedicated men and women.”

This year, AP Exams were administered in May at more than 18,000 high schools. While the multiple-choice sections of AP Exams are computer scored, exams in 34 subjects contain free-response sections that require the expertise of the AP Readers, who are carefully selected to ensure the integrity of AP Exam scores. AP Readers are a blend of higher education faculty who have recently taught the comparable college-level course and AP teachers. Each year, the pool of AP Readers is chosen to ensure a balanced representation of educational institutions, geography, and years of teaching experience.

“At the AP Reading, you have a unique opportunity to share in the vital enterprise of ensuring students have the best possible preparation for higher education, while at the same time developing enriching personal and professional relationships,” said Dr. Dean T. Ferguson, Professor of History, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Chief AP Reader for AP World History.

The AP Readings have been an annual College Board event for over forty years. Last year, 6,534 high school teachers and 5,079 college faculty participated in the Reading. While the majority of Readers are based in the U.S., educators from Hong Kong, Egypt, New Zealand and El Salvador participated in last year’s event. Travel and other expenses associated with the AP Reading are covered by the College Board, which also provides an honorarium for each AP Reader. Readers can also earn certificates for professional development hours and continuing education units for their participation.

In addition to the unique professional development experience offered by the AP Reading, participants have the opportunity to attend special evening programs with celebrated scholars and authors. Among those scheduled to attend the 2012 AP Reading are Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Gordon S. Wood; past president of the American Psychological Association, Diane F. Halpern; the Arthur Kelly Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University, George Bodner, and award-winning Korean American novelist Chang-rae Lee.

For many Readers, the interaction with fellow educators keeps them coming back year after year.

“I look forward to the AP Reading for German each year, as it is the best professional development training for me and many of my colleagues,” said Linda Zins-Adams, an AP German Language and Culture Table Leader from Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky. “I am excited to see, share and learn directly from new and experienced Readers from all over the globe.”

A complete schedule for the AP Reading is below. For more detailed information about the AP Reading — including the evaluation and scoring process — or to schedule a visit to the AP Reading, please contact the College Board Communications department at 212-713-8052 or communications@collegeboard.org.

2012 AP Reading Schedule

About the Advanced Placement Program^®

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program^® (AP^®) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies — with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both — while still in high school. Through AP courses in 34 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn tothink critically, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue — skills that prepare them for college and beyond.Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students. Each AP teacher’s syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores — more than 3,600 institutions worldwide annually receive AP scores. In the last decade, participation in the AP Program has more than doubled and graduates succeeding on AP Exams have nearly doubled. In May 2011, nearly two million students representing more than 18,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took 3.4 million AP Exams.

About the College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT^® and the Advanced Placement Program^®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.org.

Media Contact:

Deborah Davis The College Board 212-713-8052 communications@collegeboard.org