By Bob Katzen

Another proposal heard by the Higher Education Committee would direct the Department of Higher Education to establish regulatory standards allowing high school students who have achieved a score of 3 or higher on their Advanced Placement (AP) exams to receive college credit at Massachusetts’ state universities.

“The American Council on Education and the College Board both recommend granting college credit to students who score a 3 or higher on their AP exam because those who achieve a score in this range are generally more prepared for subsequent coursework than students who only completed the introductory course and did not take the exam,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “Providing college credit for AP classes taken in high school allows students to be rewarded for their hard work by giving them much more flexibility to pursue a double major or study abroad, provides a less confusing college application process by setting a uniform standard and saves students tuition money due to the reduced number of classes they have to take.”