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Southeast Polk reports higher AP pass rate, big jump in ninth-grade participation
Summary
District staff told the school board that 85.5% of Advanced Placement exams taken in 2024–25 were passing, ahead of the Iowa average of 69.7%. Ninth-grade AP participation rose sharply, and district leaders said logistics and online testing are areas of focus for the coming year.
At an August meeting, Southeast Polk Community School District staff reported an overall AP exam passing rate of 85.5% for 2024–25 and said ninth-grade participation jumped markedly this year.
District staff said about 90% of students who started an AP course in January took an AP exam. The presentation listed 538 graduates in the class of 2025 and an estimated district AP index of 0.94, a rise from recent years.
The presenter said the ninth-grade increase was notable: 71 ninth graders took the AP Human Geography exam this past year, up from 21 in an earlier year. "There was a significant jump in the number of ninth grade students that that took an AP exam," the presenter said, and suggested greater exposure and separate ninth-grade sections may have reduced students' anxiety about enrolling.
The board heard that pass-rate performance varies by subject. The presenter said several subjects had large gains — including physics and AP language — and noted the district has sustained pass rates in the low-to-mid 80s in recent years after COVID disruptions. "Eighty-five and a half percent of all exams taken at the high school and the junior high were passed compared to the Iowa average of 69.7," the presenter said. When asked what score counts as passing, the presenter answered simply: "A 3."
Staff discussed course-volume effects on percentages: the presenter noted small cohorts can shift a subject's percentage substantially (for example, eight students taking Computer Science Principles will cause big swings if one or two scores change). District leaders said their annual goal-setting for AP aims for full enrollment, 100% test-taking and 100% passing, language the presenter described as "lofty goals."
Board members and staff also discussed test administration logistics. A board member who has proctored exams praised the spring administration and the transition to online testing at multiple locations, calling the operation "very smooth" despite occasional Wi‑Fi and Chromebook charging problems. The district used four sites last spring, including two churches, the fairgrounds and the high school; staff said they aim to reduce the number of testing sites this year.
Looking ahead, district staff reported 628 students enrolled in AP courses for the 2025–26 school year when the presentation was prepared, the highest number since the 2014–15 school year. The presenter said a main contributor to the increase is ninth-grade enrollment in human geography, with roughly 126 students expected to take that exam next year (most in ninth grade).
No formal policy or budget action was taken during the AP presentation.
