High schoolers barred from college-level courses

Each year when I ask high schools around the country to fill out the form for my annual America’s Best High Schools list, I try to add a question to illumine an issue on which there is little research. This was my extra question for 2010:

"May any student at your school enroll in AP American History or AP English Literature if they want to? (If not, we would like to know what qualifications they must have — a certain GPA? a teacher’s recommendation?)"

I just calculated the results. They suggest the widespread habit of restricting access to AP may be losing strength, although not fast enough to suit me or the AP teachers who have influenced me on this issue.

Jay Mathews

Full Story: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2010/10/high_school_restrictions_on_ac.html?hpid=sec-education