Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the K12 Assessment Dual Credit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kershaw County highlights rising AP pass rates and flags new Central Carolina fees for dual credit
Summary
District staff reported higher AP participation and pass rates and increased dual-enrollment activity but warned a change in Central Carolina's fee structure may impose lab and technology charges on families; the district said it has contacted Central Carolina and is notifying guidance counselors and principals.
District administrators presented AP and dual-enrollment results to the Kershaw County School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 5 and warned of a new fee structure at Central Carolina that could require families to pay lab and technology fees for some dual-credit courses.
Mister Matthews, a district presenter, said students took 584 AP exams and the district's overall AP pass rate increased to 73.5 percent. "For the third consecutive year, not only have we increased the number of AP tests taken, but we've also increased the number of AP tests passed," he said, and noted Kershaw County exceeded the national pass rate in 11 of 16 AP categories.
On dual enrollment, administrators reported 1,030 dual-credit classes were taken this year, up from 1,016 the previous year, and classes passed rose from 912 to 925 — an identical pass percentage of 89.8 percent. Matthews and Dr. Goodly told the board that Central Carolina changed its fee structure this year; previously qualifying students did not pay, but the college now passes some lab and technology charges to students. "That that's on the families, and it generally revolves around lab fees and technology fees," Matthews said.
The district said it has reached out to Central Carolina's administration for clarification and that staff have asked principals and guidance counselors to contact affected families so students are not surprised by charges. Board members asked whether the district could absorb fees for students who cannot pay; district staff said they are reviewing options but did not announce a policy change.
Administrators also said most state assessment data remain under embargo and will be provided to the board when the state releases it. The presentation was informational; no policy or budget action was taken at the meeting.
