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SALT LAKE CITY — Great new numbers are out today about how Utah high school students are doing when it comes to advanced placement exams.
Mark Peterson with the Utah Office of Education spells it out very simply: "We've got more students participating, and doing better in the tests."
More than 20,000 students took AP exams in 2012, a 10.5 percent increase from the last year. Over 11 percent more passed the exams this year than last, earning instant college credit.
"It's been a really good academic year for Utah," Peterson said.
He also said it has a lot to do with the focus on college and career readiness. "We thank all our partners and parents and teachers and students."
The College Board says 68 percent of Utah students passed the exams, which is better than the 59 percent among their national peers. "Alta, Skyline, Davis and West High Schools, where they have both high participation and high pass rates, is particularly gratifying to see," Peterson said.
The increase was mostly seen across racial and ethnic lines. people identifying as Hispanic saw a 23.8 percent increase. But nine fewer American Indian students took tests this year.
