Gilbert Public Schools announced on Apr. 8 that the number of Advanced Placement (AP) exams administered across its high schools is projected to reach 6,200 this year, up from approximately 1,800 in 2022.
The growth in AP participation reflects an effort by the district to prepare students for life after graduation by offering more rigorous academic opportunities. According to the official website, Gilbert Public Schools promotes student growth through supportive communities that foster skills for community contributions.
The district reported that as more students take AP exams, pass rates have also increased. The overall pass rate has climbed from 72% to over 80%, and the number of students earning top scores of “4” has more than doubled since 2022. AP courses offer college-level curriculum and exams developed by the College Board, giving students a chance to earn college credit and develop critical thinking skills needed for post-secondary education.
Efforts to expand access include providing all tenth-grade students with the Preliminary-SAT (PSAT) test. School leaders use PSAT data to identify students who may succeed in AP courses and encourage them to enroll. Brent Gardner, Advanced Learning K-12 Coordinator at GPS, said, “We believe that high school is the best time to take on something difficult… It is the one time in a student’s life when they are surrounded by a built-in support system of teachers, counselors, and administrators dedicated to their success.”
To support educators teaching these courses, Gilbert Public Schools holds an annual three-day AP Summer Institute where teachers receive training from College Board-qualified instructors. The district also reviews course offerings regularly; for example, it shifted Honors Pre-Calculus classes into AP Pre-Calculus after finding comparable rigor between them.
According to the official website, Gilbert Public Schools operates campuses in both the Town of Gilbert and City of Mesa and serves over 32,000 students across 39 schools. The district has earned A-ratings with multiple schools recognized as excellent or blue ribbon award recipients according to its official site. Dr. Shane McCord has led Gilbert Public Schools as superintendent according to information available online.
