The Advanced Placement Program in Texas — Local Access Offered by Public School Districts is Decreasing While the Breadth of Differentiated Courses Offered is Increasing.

This article analyzes Texas public school districts’ participation in the Advanced Placement (AP) program from the 2012–2013 through 2018–2019 academic years, focusing on factors influencing whether districts offer AP courses locally and the breadth of courses offered. Using a two-stage hurdle count model—comprising a fixed effect binomial logistic regression for the probability of offering AP courses and a fixed effect zero-truncated Poisson regression for the number of unique AP courses—the study finds that while fewer districts are opting in to offer AP courses over time, those that do participate are expanding the variety of AP courses available. Key factors associated with offering AP courses include a larger number of schools in the district, lower student-to-teacher ratios, less experienced faculty, and higher local property tax rates, whereas the breadth of AP offerings correlates positively with larger average student populations per school and suburban community types. The study highlights that despite a decline in district-level access, over 96% of Texas students attend districts offering AP courses, and it suggests avenues for future research including the impact of COVID-19 and equity considerations at the high school level.