Alabama students are taking more Advanced Placement classes than ever before, thanks in part to state funding over the past two years that's encouraged participation.

State superintendent Joe Morton and Gov. Bob Riley announced the results of the Alabama Advanced Placement Initiative Tuesday in downtown Montgomery.

Alabama has spent $3.6 million on the initiative over the past two years. The number of students taking AP tests increased by 24.3 percent from 2007 to 2008 compared to the national increase of 8.6 percent for the same period.

The number of students getting qualifying scores of 3-5 on the test grew 7.8 percent compared to the national increase of 5.7 percent.

Alabama students are also doing better on the SAT college entrance exam compared to those nationwide.