High Schools Roll Out New AP Business Course

More than 1,500 high schools across the United States began offering a new Advanced Placement course in business this academic year. The class is the first of its kind and allows students to earn college credit through a standardized exam. The curriculum blends practical financial management with theoretical business concepts, marking a shift in how secondary education approaches the subject.

The College Board, the organization that develops AP exams and manages the SAT, created the course in response to student feedback. In previous surveys, students indicated a desire to turn their ideas into jobs. David Coleman, the CEO of the College Board, described the new class as a foundational piece of the liberal arts. He argued that business is as important for preparing students for the world as core subjects like math and history. Coleman stated that mixing the practical with the theoretical is highly useful in the current environment.

At Hoover High School near Birmingham, Alabama, students in the class are already applying these lessons to their personal lives. The school, which has a student body of nearly 3,000 and is the largest high school in the state, offers the course as part of its curriculum. Students in the class discuss how they manage their part-time job earnings. Some buy beverages or fill gas tanks, while others invest. Darshan Parmar, a junior, said he invests his money in index funds like the S&P 500, QQQ, and VOO. He confirmed that he performs the investing himself rather than relying on his parents.

Other students in the class take different approaches to their money. One student places 70 percent of their income into a Roth IRA. Another contributes to a 401(k) plan. A third invests directly in individual stocks. Teacher Gerri Kimble noted that students watch the markets and engage with the material actively. The course covers outside factors that affect businesses, including political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal issues. Senior Bramley Williams described the subject matter as a foundational piece of business education.

The new AP course fits into a wider trend of adding financial education to high school requirements. Thirty-nine states now require a personal finance class for graduation, according to the Council for Economic Education. This number is four higher than it was two years ago. A Federal Reserve paper found that families in states requiring financial education made better financial decisions. During the pandemic, these families were more likely to use stimulus checks to pay down credit card balances and refinance mortgages while interest rates were low.

Jennifer Steele, a professor of education at American University, said that educating youth on how to use money responsibly leads to good outcomes. At Hoover High, many students have college aspirations. The AP class is often weighted higher in grade point averages than other courses, which some students use strategically. Sophomore Damola Kukoyi said the course helps boost her GPA while allowing her to study a topic she enjoys. The school also offers a four-year business academy with classes in accounting and entrepreneurship.

Rachel Deschaine, a senior in the AP business course, sees the lessons reflected in her family life. Her father owned a trucking company, and her brother is majoring in economics. Deschaine said that understanding how people and companies interact financially opens up opportunities. She noted that there is a business component in almost everything and that understanding the mechanics is useful.