Becker School District is one of 447 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the eighth Annual AP® District Honor Roll.
To be included on the eighth annual honor roll, Becker schools had to — since 2015 — increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of three or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.
“Congratulations to all the educators and administrators in this district who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to participate and succeed in AP,” said Trevor Packer, head of AP and Instruction. “These educators and administrators are fostering a culture in their schools and classrooms that allows students to face new challenges and build the confidence to succeed.”
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.
In 2017, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admissions process. Inclusion in the eighth Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data — from 2015 to 2017 — looking across 38 AP exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used.
Districts must:
• Increase participation/access to AP by at least four percent in large districts, at least six percent in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
• Increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam;
• Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2017 percentage of students scoring a three or higher to the 2015 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a three or higher.
When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.
“As a new principal at BHS, it is rewarding to discover that a tradition of academic excellence exists and is being maintained in our district,” said Principal Rick Toso. “Parents, teachers and support staff all play an important role in our mission of ‘preparing self-directed students to thrive in a changing global community.’”
The complete 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found at the following website: apcentral.collegeboard.org/score-reports-data/awards/honor-roll.
