More Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) students are taking Advanced Placement exams and earning qualifying scores, according to recently published results from the 2025–26 school year.
Over the past five years, the number of MMSD students taking at least one AP exam has increased 48%, growing from 1,464 students in 2021–22 to 2,170 students in 2025–26. During that same period, the number of AP exams taken by MMSD students increased 84%, with students taking 2,390 more exams than they did five years earlier.
The most recent results also show continued improvement in student performance. Over the five-year period, the percentage of students earning a score of 3 or higher increased by 4 percentage points, while the percentage of AP exams earning a score of 3 or higher increased by 7 percentage points.
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"It's encouraging to see more students taking advantage of opportunities to challenge themselves through Advanced Placement coursework," said Tim Peterson, MMSD's director of assessment. "Just as importantly, the data shows that as participation has grown, student performance has continued to improve. That reflects the work of our students and educators and the district's continued efforts to expand access to rigorous learning opportunities."
The College Board also recognized 955 MMSD students with AP Scholar designations during the 2025–26 school year. Of the 2,170 students who took at least one AP exam, 44% earned one of the College Board's AP Scholar honors.
Among those students:
- 339 students earned AP Scholar recognition by scoring 3 or higher on at least three AP exams.
- 177 students earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on at least four exams.
- 439 students earned AP Scholar with Distinction recognition by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on at least five exams.
MMSD offers all 40 AP assessments and offered 36 AP courses during the 2025–26 school year. AP courses give students opportunities to engage in college-level coursework while in high school and, depending on their exam scores and the policies of individual colleges and universities, may allow students to earn college credit or advanced placement.
For students who go on to pursue higher education, earning college credit in high school can provide a meaningful head start, allowing them to potentially complete degree requirements more quickly and reduce the number of courses they need to take and pay for once they reach college.
"For many students, strong AP exam performance can mean entering college with credits already earned, giving them greater flexibility in pursuing a degree and potentially reducing the overall cost of their higher education," Peterson said.
The district's most commonly taken AP exams in 2025–26 included AP English Literature, AP English Language, AP World History, AP Precalculus and AP Seminar, which has become more widely available across MMSD high schools.
MMSD will continue to use the results to evaluate participation, student outcomes and access to AP coursework as part of its broader efforts to expand rigorous academic opportunities for students across the district.
