Mass Insight’s Advanced Placement Program Major Contributor to Massachusetts Ranking #1 in the Nation

For over a decade, Mi’s AP STEM & English program has served 10,000+ students and 600 teachers in over 90 Massachusetts schools annually.

April 25, 2022 –Boston– Mass Insight Education & Research (Mi) is proud to administer the largest Advanced Placement® program in the state of Massachusetts in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  College Board recently announced that Massachusetts’s graduating class of 2021 was first in the nation for students scoring a 3 or higher (a passing score) on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) test. Massachusetts seniors have held this distinction for five of the last six years.   

Mi’s AP program expands access to AP STEM and English courses in Massachusetts high schools, ensuring that all students, especially low-income, Black, Hispanic, and female students, have access to AP STEM and English courses along with the supports needed to succeed. 

“Mass Insight is proud to play a pivotal role in partnering with students and teachers engaged in college-level content through AP courses,” said Mass Insight’s President and CEO, Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D.  “We are focused on helping students achieve college and career success and our program is distinguishable, both in history of impact and scope of support. The results show that we are making a difference.”  

Mi’s AP program drove increased participation and performance, particularly among underserved populations in the 2020-2021 school year. 

• Students in Mi’s AP program comprised 20% of all AP Math, Science, and English exams taken in the state. 
• Black students in Mi’s AP program made up 40% of all AP Math, Science, English exams taken by Black high school students in Massachusetts and 29% of the AP exam passing scores for those students. 
• Hispanic students in Mi’s AP program made up 35% of AP Math, Science, and English exams taken by Hispanic high school students in the state and 22% of AP exam passing scores for those students. 

“Mass Insight’s deep partnership with diverse schools and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is having a profound impact on college readiness and career opportunities for students of color, particularly in STEM subjects,” said Trevor Packer, head of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program. “Students exposed to AP STEM coursework in high school then pursue such college majors at much higher rates than comparison groups, demonstrating the effectiveness of Mass Insight’s work to democratize access to challenging coursework.” 

The 2022-2023 school year will mark a milestone in Mi’s AP program as it heads into its 15th year of serving a diverse group of schools across the state, including many Gateway Cities and Boston Public Schools.  In 14 years, Mi’s AP program has grown from 10 school partnerships supporting 1,600 students to 90 school partnerships supporting 10,000 students annually with demand still increasing.  Mass Insight projects that the AP program will extend to approximately 100 high schools in FY23.