Exam Shows More Mass. Students Ready for College

The number of Massachusetts high school students who are ready for college is rising after nearly 28 percent of those who took the advance placement exam last year scored a 3 or higher, which is considered a solid indicator of college readiness.

    That is according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which announced Thursday that the number represents a 2.4 percent increase from the class of 2011.

    Massachusetts trailed behind Maryland and New York nationally.

    The performance of minority and poor students continue to improve, but African American as well as Hispanic and Latino students still lag behind Asian and white peers.

    The percentage of students who took at least one advance placement exam in high school rose to just over 39 percent last year, compared with nearly 22 percent in 2002.

(Associated Press)