LEE COUNTY, Fla. - The recent results of the 2009/10 Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Tests highlight the fact that more and more students in Lee County are performing at high academic levels. The number of advanced tests taken by Lee County students has more than tripled since the 2002/03 school year (more than 7,800 exams taken this past year). The number of AP and IB exams passed has increased to 3,196 over the same period.

One of the top priorities of the District has been to increase the number of students participating in and successfully completing advanced courses and activities. Identifying and placing students in advanced courses has become an emphasis in high schools Districtwide. This past year’s results indicate that approximately 79 advanced tests were passed per 100 graduates, up from about 50 in 2002/03.

Advanced Placement exams are designed to measure a student’s ability to handle college-level material and are given in a variety of subjects as the culmination of participation in advanced high school courses. The IB Program is a rigorous program of studies based on an international curriculum. IB programs in the West (Cape High) and East Zones (Riverdale High) were initiated several years ago in addition to the long-standing program at Fort Myers High. IB students may take both AP and IB exams, but many opt to focus on passing the IB diploma exams. For this reason both AP and IB exams may be considered measures of successful completion of advanced courses.