More Indiana students are participating and succeeding in courses and tests that support college and career readiness, Tony Bennett, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, today announced. This news coincides with today’s release of The College Board’s 2012 College and Career Readiness Report.

In Indiana, measures of college and career readiness include more than just student performance on college entrance exams. Multiple post-secondary preparation programs and assessments, including Advanced Placement, ACT and SAT exams as well as international baccalaureate, dual credit, industry certification and technical education programs, all factor in to a comprehensive view of college and career readiness in Indiana’s schools. These programs are important because they help ensure students graduate with the skills necessary to be successful in college or the workforce.

“To find seats in post-secondary institutions and jobs in growing careers, our students need to be held to high standards, and they need challenging, engaging coursework that will help them meet and exceed our expectations,” Bennett said. “I’m thrilled to see evidence that more of Indiana’s students are taking advantage of educational programs that will help them find pathways to success after high school.”

Educators and policymakers have strengthened their commitment to providing Hoosier students access to challenging curriculum opportunities that provide students practical skills and knowledge for life after graduation.

Indiana is now a national leader in providing students access to AP courses and improving overall AP pass rates. Since 2009, the number of students taking AP courses has surged by nearly 50 percent, and the number of students passing these challenging exams has increased by 48 percent. Indiana also maintains the second largest two-year passing rate increase in the nation.

Since 2009, student participation for the SAT rose by 8.1 percent, and ACT participation rose by more than 29.1 percent. Last year, more than 38 percent of Hoosier SAT takers met or exceeded the The College Board’s benchmark for college and career readiness. More than 32 percent of Indiana’s ACT takers met or exceeded the ACT college and career readiness benchmarks—an increase of 4 percent since 2009.

The International Baccalaureate program is a challenging, high quality education program that aims to give students an internationally competitive education and create a worldwide community of exceptional schools. Twenty Indiana high schools offer IB programs, and preliminary numbers indicate almost 900 students took advantage of the program during the 2011-2012 school year.

Indiana’s Career and Technical Education Pathways initiative provides guidance on secondary and postsecondary courses that offer students a boost when pursuing high wage and/or high demand careers in Indiana. Indiana’s overall graduation rate is 85.7 percent; the graduation rate for students who completed rigorous CTE programs is 92 percent.

“I applaud our educators and communities across Indiana for their work to give more students access to these important opportunities,” Bennett said. “Looking ahead, with our improved system of schools and an intense focus on college and career readiness, Indiana’s students will be better positioned to compete for jobs and drive our state’s economy.”

For more information on college and career readiness, visit www.doe.in.gov/achievement/ccr