Table 3. Percentage distribution of academic year 2003–2004 high school graduates, by subject area of Advanced Placement (AP) examination taken and select student characteristics: 2006

Education Longitudinal
Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)

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			Examination subject area
Characteristic	At least one AP examination		Mathematics¹		Science²		English³		Social Science⁴		Foreign Language⁵		Other⁶
Total	18.3		7.4		6.2		9.4		11.0		2.7		1.0

Sex
Female	20.2		7.1		5.9		11.6		11.8		3.6		1.2
Male	16.5		7.8		6.5		7.2		10.2		1.7		0.7

Race/ethnicity⁷
American Indian or Alaska Native	9.8	!	5.5	!	1.3	!	5.1	!	6.3	!	#		#
Asian or Pacific Islander	36.5		22.8		21.5		20.5		24.4		4.3		1.6	!
Black or African American	6.9		1.8		1.9		3.3		4.0		0.5	!	0.4	!
Hispanic or Latino	14.0		3.8		3.4		6.6		7.1		6.6		0.7	!
White	20.8		8.4		6.9		10.9		12.6		2.3		1.2
Two or more races	15.6		7.3		4.9		5.7		10.2		1.0	!	0.3	!

Socioeconomic status⁸
Lowest quartile	8.5		2.8		2.2		4.3		4.3		2.3		0.3	!
Second quartile	11.1		3.0		3.2		5.3		5.5		2.0		0.7	!
Third quartile	16.7		6.6		5.0		7.9		10.2		1.6		0.8
Highest quartile	34.3		15.9		13.4		18.7		22.2		4.5		1.8

Parental education⁹
High school or less	9.4		3.1		2.3		4.3		4.9		2.3		0.4	!
Some college	12.6		3.8		3.6		6.3		6.7		1.6		0.8
Bachelor's degree	22.4		10.6		7.6		11.5		13.8		2.5		1.0
Graduate/professional degree	36.4		16.2		14.9		19.9		24.2		5.5		2.0

Native language¹⁰
English	18.1		7.3		6.0		9.4		10.9		2.1		1.0
Non-English	20.0		8.6		7.9		9.5		11.8		6.6		0.9

High school sector
Public	17.3		7.0		5.8		8.8		10.4		2.4		0.8
Catholic	29.1		9.4		9.1		17.6		18.4		4.2		2.0
Other private	32.5		15.4		14.5		16.3		17.8		6.5		3.1	!

Student's educational expectation in 10th grade
High school or less	‡		#		#		‡		‡		#		#
Some college	1.6		0.1	!	0.4	!	0.7	!	0.6	!	0.3	!	#
Bachelor's degree	15.4		5.9		4.1		7.2		8.6		1.1		1.0
Graduate/professional degree	34.6		14.7		12.9		18.7		21.8		6.0		1.6
Don't know	4.8		2.0	!	1.6	!	1.9		2.2		1.0	!	0.4	!
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. Estimate is unstable because the standard error represents more than 30 percent of the estimate.
‡ Reporting standards are not met.
¹ The Mathematics examinations offered include: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Statistics.
² The Science examinations offered include: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Computer Science AB, Physics B, Physics C: E&M, Physics C: Mechanical, and Environmental Science.
³ The English examinations offered include: English Literature & Composition, and English Language & Composition.
⁴ The Social Science examinations offered include: Comparative Government and Politics, European History, Art History, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, US Government & Politics, US History, Human Geography, and World History.
⁵ The Foreign Language examinations offered include: French Language, French Literature, German Language, Latin/Vergil, Latin Literature, Spanish Language, and Spanish Literature.
⁶ The Other examinations offered include: Music Theory, Studio Art: Drawing, Studio Art: 2-D Design, and Studio Art: 3-D Design.
⁷ All race categories exclude Hispanic or Latino origin, unless specified. Asian or Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian.
⁸ For a description of the socioeconomic status (SES) composite variable, see section H.1.5 of the ELS:2002 First Follow-up user's manual: "Education Longitudinal Study of 2002: Base-Year to First Follow-up Data File Documentation" (NCES 2006-344), http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006344.
⁹ Parental education is the highest level of education attained by the student’s mother and father (including guardians); or, if the student had only one parent, the educational attainment of that parent (or guardian).
¹⁰ The first language students learned to speak.
NOTE: AP examinations are developed and administered by The College Board. Not all high schools offer all AP courses in each of these subject areas, but students can apply to take any of the AP examinations in any of the areas. Detail may not sum to totals because one student could take more than one AP examination.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), “Second Follow-up, 2006.”

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