Orange County Public Schools presented a districtwide update on advanced studies at the Feb. 13 work session, reporting expanded access and improved performance across Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs for the 2023-24 school year.

Dr. Rebecca Hunt, director of advanced studies, and Dr. Russo, who led the presentation, highlighted increases in exam participation, higher AP pass rates, and growth in Cambridge ACE and IB diploma recipients.

Why it matters: The district said expanded offerings and school-level supports increased access to accelerated coursework and saved families thousands of dollars in potential college tuition through earned college credits.

Major figures reported
- AP: OCPS reported a district AP exam pass rate of 59 percent in the 2024 AP administration, the highest since 2016 and up 6 percentage points from 2023. The district said students passed 21,546 AP exams in May 2024, yielding 118,214 college credits and an estimated $23,600,000 in tuition savings using state university credit-equivalency calculations.

- AP Capstone and related programs: The board heard that 192 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma in 2023-24. AP Precalculus as a new course had a district passing rate of 72 percent for seniors who took it as their highest math course.

- Cambridge: The district said 336 students earned the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (ACE) diploma in 2023-24, up from 251 the prior year. District pass rates exceeded national averages in several Cambridge courses; for example, OCPS's pass rate for English general paper AS level was reported at 77 percent compared with a 73 percent national pass rate. OCPS received Cambridge's Large District of the Year award for program expansion and student performance.

- IB: OCPS reported 170 IB diplomas awarded in 2023-24 (164 in 2022-23); district pass rates in some IB subjects exceeded global averages, and the theory of knowledge course had a district pass rate of 83 percent.

- Overall growth in advanced exams: The presentation showed total advanced-studies exam participation rose from 37,805 (2021-22) to 44,893 (2022-23) to 54,419 (2023-24), a 41 percent increase over the period. Cambridge and IB participation also grew substantially.

District supports and next steps
District staff described supports intended to sustain growth: AP tutoring available year-round at high schools, test-preparation sessions, an advanced-studies symposium for rising juniors, school-based parent nights, professional learning for teachers, and regular program coordinator meetings to support school implementation.

Board reaction and questions
Board members praised the expansion of pathways and asked for clearer parent-facing communications to explain the different diploma and course options (AP, Cambridge ACE, IB). Several board members requested pass-rate breakdowns by school and subgroup so the board can track equity and program outcomes.

Ending: Staff said they will provide additional school- and subgroup-level performance data and continue work to make advanced-studies pathways and course sequences more accessible to families. No action or vote was taken at the work session.