The College Board's annual Advanced Placement report demonstrated increases in both the number of students taking AP tests and their scores on the exams, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The number of students who take the tests has doubled over the past decade and 16.9 percent of test-takers scored a three or above, up from 16 percent last year. Although slightly more minority and low-income students took the AP exams this year, there is still an achievement gap for minority students, according to The Chronicle. While 14.6 percent of the 2010 graduating class was black, only 3.9 percent of blacks successfully completed at least one AP exam, according to the report, released Wednesday. While no state has completely closed the achievement gap for minority students, certain states have seen progress among black, Hispanic or Native American and Alaska-native students. While the report stresses the importance of science and math exams, students' scores on such tests suggest that many schools fail to adequately prepare students in those subject areas, The Chronicle reported.
Approximately one-third of students at community colleges were unable to enroll in at least one course because it was full, according to a recent national study conducted by the Pearson Foundation. The study based on a poll of 1,434 students during an "enrollment crunch" from September to November 2010 found that on average, students enrolled in 2.9 courses after planning to take 3.3 courses. Students in California were most likely to encounter difficultly enrolling in their planned courses, according to the study. Over the course of the semester, 15 percent of students eventually dropped at least one class. Students in remedial courses, students with children and students enrolled part-time or employed full-time were more likely to drop courses, Inside Higher Ed reported. Approximately 75 percent of respondents said they did not talk about their intentions to drop a course with their instructors or advisors, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Tom Walter, the head baseball coach at Wake Forest University, donated a kidney to freshman player Kevin Jordan on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. Jordan was diagnosed with ANCA vasculitis a disorder that leads to autoimmune swelling last April, and soon required daily dialysis treatments. After Jordan's relatives were determined incompatible to provide a transplant, Walters volunteered to be tested, according to the AP. During the first baseball practice of the spring semester, Walters learned that he was a potential match. Both Walter and Jordan are expected to recover from the procedure over the next several months, and Jordan anticipates being able to play baseball again in six to eight weeks, the AP reported.
