College Board Releases 2011 AP Honor Roll

Do you remember back in elementary school when the school would give out annual awards for various accomplishments? There was the Reading Honor Roll, the Attendance Honor Roll, the Science Honor Roll, and so many more. I had long ago forgotten about honor rolls, but I guess they are back in the spotlight.
In 2010, The College Board began releasing an annual list of schools that made it’s AP Honor Roll. In order to make this honor roll, schools must increase their students access to Advanced Placement courses and coursework. However, there is more required of schools who want to make this honor roll. In addition, they must also simultaneously maintain or increase the percentage of their students who earn at least a “3” on the exams. Schools who do this are “successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are likely to benefit most for AP course work,” according to the College Board.
This year, 367 school districts made the list. The schools came from 45 different states in the USA and six provinces in Canada. Pennsylvania had the most districts who qualified for the list (34). New York and Massachusetts tied for second place with 30 districts each.
“Participation in college-level AP course can level the playing field for underserved students, give them the confidence needed to succeed in college, and raise standards and performance in key subjects like science and math,” said Gaston Caperton, the College Board President. “The AP Honor Roll districts are defying expectations by expanding access while enabling their students to maintain or improve their AP Exam scores.”
Personally, I think this is great. AP classes are great because they prepare students for the type of workload that will be expected of them in college. Then, at the end of the year, students can take an AP exam that will possibly allow the student to earn college credit while still in high school, therefore saving the students time and money that would be spent on a higher education. So, if more schools are taking an active role in encouraging their students to take AP classes and exams, I think that’s fantastic!
Via CollegeBoard.org
See Also:
How to Prepare for College During High School
Best High Schools in America