Programs like Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) are designed to provide high school students with challenging academic course work and a head start on a college education. But despite aggressive efforts to expand participation, there remain significant differences in the rates at which students from different racial and economic groups gain access.

If we can identify and remedy these inequities where they exist, these courses can be a powerful means of disrupting the high-end achievement gap.