Lake Travis ISD presented spring 2025 Advanced Placement (AP) exam results and participation trends to the board, reporting year-over-year increases in students taking AP courses and exams.

Cathy Burbank explained that not all AP students take the AP exam—about 550 students this year opted not to sit for exams—and that schools use exam results over the summer to review curriculum alignment, pacing and areas where students struggled, such as document-based questions (DBQs) and lab-based items. “They look at the breakdowns of the score to make sure that what they're teaching is aligning with the AP framework,” Burbank said.

The district reported AP participation by grade: 93 ninth-graders, 333 sophomores, 571 juniors and 423 seniors took AP exams in 2025. Lake Travis also reported increases in AP Scholar honors, distinctions and capstone recognitions compared with previous years.

Administrators said some students opt out of exams for a range of reasons—missed registration deadlines, perceived likelihood of scoring or because a specific university program may not grant credit for that exam. The district noted fee discounts and supports are available for eligible students through free/reduced-price meal programs and local assistance.

The board received the data and asked for additional detail as needed; administration said more AP data can be supplied upon request.