How AP Seminar as English 10 Expands Access and Delivers Strong ELA State Results

What happens when high schools use AP Seminar in place of their typical 10th grade English course?

New research spanning 70,000 students across multiple states shows that students perform as well as or better than their peers on state English assessments, with no decline in accountability outcomes across diverse schools and contexts.

Strong performance on state ELA assessments

Across 70,000 students in Kentucky, New York, and Texas, students who took AP Seminar in place of English 10 met or exceeded state ELA benchmarks at rates comparable to or higher than their peers in other English courses.

In Kentucky:

• 87% of AP Seminar students met or exceeded benchmarks on the KSA Reading Exam, compared to 73% of Advanced or Honors English 10 students and 36% of on-level students  
• 78% met or exceeded benchmarks on the KSA Writing Exam, compared to 65% and 35%, respectively  

In New York:

• Between 99.5% and 100% of AP Seminar students met or exceeded the Regents ELA benchmark  

In Texas:

• 98.7% of AP Seminar students met or exceeded the STAAR English II benchmark  

These results hold even after controlling for prior academic performance. Taken together, the findings provide strong evidence that districts can adopt AP Seminar as an English 10 course without compromising accountability outcomes—and, in many cases, while supporting stronger performance on state ELA assessments

Expanding access to AP while maintaining results

AP Seminar is designed as an entry point to AP with no prerequisites. Embedding it into the English 10 course sequence allows schools and districts to expand access to advanced coursework while maintaining strong academic performance.

Students engage in real-world topics while developing critical reading, writing, research, and communication skills. These are the same core skills measured on state ELA assessments and required for success in future coursework.

A model that aligns to district priorities

AP Seminar as an option for English 10 addresses several key priorities:

• Maintain or improve state assessment outcomes: Students perform at higher levels on required ELA assessments.
• Expand access to AP earlier in high school: With no prerequisites, AP Seminar opens the door to a broader group of students in 10th grade.
• Strengthen college readiness: Students build the reading, writing, and research skills needed for success beyond high school.
• Align advanced learning with core requirements: In most states, students can meet English 10 graduation requirements while participating in AP Seminar.

Because AP Seminar uses a consistent course framework and assessment model nationwide, these findings are relevant across a wide range of state contexts.

For schools and districts looking to increase access to advanced coursework while maintaining accountability outcomes, AP Seminar offers a clear, evidence-based path forward.