Data from the state of Indiana show more public high school students are taking advanced placement exams.
The Indiana Department of Education announced last month that about 1,200 more students in the class of 2018 took AP exams than in the previous year's graduating class. Data also show the rate of students earning a passing grade or higher increased 12.6 percent in the last three years.
Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers says the trend is encouraging because "early college credit leads to higher success rates and cost savings for students and the state."
AP courses are modeled from comparable college courses. The College Board prepares the exams and students who earn high scores can receive college credit.