Physics enrollments decline in Florida’s public high schools

Florida public high school enrollments in AP Physics 1 and the non-honors version of Physics 1 declined significantly from 2015-16 to 2016-17, while enrollment in Honors Physics 1 held steady.  Altogether, these statistics show that Florida’s high school physics program is in slow decline.

AP Physics 1 enrollment dropped from 7,667 in the spring of 2016 to 7,149 in the spring of 2017, according to enrollment data available at the Florida Department of Education web site.  That is a 7% decline.

Enrollment in the non-Honors Physics 1 course dropped from 9,738 in the spring of 2016 to 9,009 in the spring of 2017 – also a 7% decrease.  The enrollment in this course had already dropped significantly the year before.  In total, the two-year decline in non-Honors physics enrollment is 15%.

Honors Physics 1 enrollment has held steady near 22,000 for the last three years.

AP Physics 1 was designed to replace Honors Physics 1 as the first physics course for students with math proficiency at the Algebra 2 level.  That has clearly not happened in Florida’s high schools.

A survey of state departments of education around the nation in the summer of 2015 showed that the rate at which Florida’s public high school students enrolled in physics was much lower than in most states, and just a little more than half the national rate.

High school physics is a critical component of preparation for college-level STEM majors.  The American Society for Engineering Education recommends high school physics for students considering careers in engineering.  Bachelor of science degrees in computer science and mathematics generally require that students take physics in college.  Two semesters of physics are required for students to enter professional schools in medicine, dentistry and physical therapy.