How to Turn AP Exam Data into Better Instruction
For AP Economics teachers, July brings more than just exam scores. It brings an opportunity to improve instruction for the year ahead.
While it's natural to focus on students' AP scores, those numbers tell only part of the story. The most valuable insights come from understanding why students performed the way they did and using that information to make intentional instructional decisions before the new school year begins.
Recently, Pearson hosted a webinar with AP Economics educator, AP Exam Reader, and author David Mayer to discuss how teachers can use assessment data to strengthen instruction. His message was straightforward: don't let this year's AP data sit in a report. Use it to guide next year's teaching.
Here are five takeaways from David's framework and how you can apply them in your own classroom.
1. Start with the Story Behind the Scores
When AP scores are released, it's easy to focus on overall pass rates or the number of students who earned a 5. Instead, begin with your Instructional Planning Report (IPR).
The IPR provides a much deeper look at student performance by showing how your class performed across course units, skills, and free-response questions compared with state and global averages.
As you review the report, ask yourself:
- Which units consistently challenged students?
- Which skills showed the largest gaps?
- Are there patterns across both multiple-choice and free-response performance?
Looking for patterns instead of individual mistakes gives you a much clearer picture of where your instruction can have the greatest impact.
2. Let the Course and Exam Description Guide Your Planning
Once you've identified areas for improvement, the next step isn't simply reteaching a chapter.
Instead, connect those results back to the AP Economics Course and Exam Description (CED). Every AP exam question is aligned to specific learning objectives, making the CED an essential planning tool for identifying exactly what students need to know and be able to do.
Using the CED as the foundation for instructional planning helps ensure that additional instruction is purposeful, focused, and aligned to the expectations of the AP course.
3. Build the Skills Students Need on Exam Day
Content knowledge is only part of the equation.
As David explains throughout the webinar, students also need regular opportunities to practice the skills the AP Economics exam is designed to assess. Those skills include:
- Interpreting economic data
- Performing calculations and showing their work
- Drawing and correctly labeling economic graphs
- Writing concise explanations
- Applying economic models to unfamiliar situations
Embedding these skills into instruction throughout the year helps students build confidence long before exam season arrives.
4. Choose Resources That Support Your Instructional Goals
Once you've identified where students need additional support, the next step is selecting resources that reinforce those specific learning objectives.
David's framework emphasizes connecting assessment results directly to instructional resources. That process is much easier when those resources are intentionally aligned to the AP Economics Course and Exam Description.
That's the approach behind Foundations of Economics for AP®, Pearson's new AP Economics program. The program was designed to help teachers move from assessment data to targeted instruction by providing:
- AP-style multiple-choice practice
- Free-response questions modeled after the AP exam
- End-of-module knowledge checks
- Section checkpoints
- Guided practice with economic models and graphing
Together, these resources help reinforce the same concepts and skills students are expected to demonstrate on the AP exam.
Learn more about Foundations of Economics for AP®
5. Refine Your Course One Step at a Time
One of the most encouraging takeaways from David's webinar is that improving student outcomes doesn't require redesigning your entire course.
Instead, use this year's assessment data to make thoughtful, targeted improvements.
Maybe students need additional practice with graphing. Perhaps they would benefit from more opportunities to explain economic reasoning in writing or complete AP-style free-response questions throughout the year.
Small adjustments, made consistently and with purpose, can have a meaningful impact on student learning over time.
Turn This Year's Results into Next Year's Success
AP scores mark the end of one school year, but they also provide the foundation for the next.
By using the Instructional Planning Report to identify learning gaps, aligning instruction to the Course and Exam Description, and selecting resources that support those instructional goals, teachers can make informed decisions that help students build stronger understanding and greater confidence throughout the year.
Whether you're preparing for your first AP Economics course or refining one you've taught for years, David Mayer's framework offers a practical way to turn assessment data into better instruction.
Continue exploring:
Watch David Mayer's on-demand webinar to see these strategies applied to real AP Economics exam questions.
Learn more about Foundations of Economics for AP® and explore the instructional resources designed to support AP Economics teaching and learning.
About the author
Thomas Hayward
Thomas Hayward holds a master’s degree in public administration and brings two decades of experience creating engaging learning experiences across K–12 and higher education. Thomas has worked in a wide range of disciplines, from fashion and finance to culinary arts and criminal justice. As an Economics Portfolio Manager, Thomas is committed to making economics relevant, relatable, and accessible to all learners. Thomas is also passionate about game-based learning and helping high school students improve their financial literacy skills.
Thomas is a graduate of San Jose State and UC Berkeley and resides in Sacramento, California. Outside of work, Thomas enjoys spending time with wife Rosemary and their three children, Basil, Thyme, and Clove, attending swim meets, soccer matches, and family events.
