Guilderland placed on the College Board’s 2nd Annual AP® District Honor Roll for significant gains in Advanced Placement® access and student performance
Nov. 8, 2011—Guilderland Central School District is one
of fewer than 400 public school districts in the nation being honored by the
College Board with a place on the 2nd Annual AP® Honor Roll, for
simultaneously increasing access to Advanced Placement coursework while
maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or
higher on AP exams. Achieving both of these goals is the ideal scenario for
a district’s Advanced Placement program, because it indicates that the
district is successfully identifying motivated, academically-prepared
students who are likely to benefit most from AP coursework.
Since 2009, GCSD increased the number of students participating in AP from
257 to 296, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam
scores of 3 or higher from 84 percent in 2009 to 85 percent in 2011. The
majority of U.S. colleges and universities grant college credit or advanced
placement for a score of 3 or above on AP exams.
“This school district has achieved something very remarkable. It managed to
open the doors of its AP classrooms to many more students, while also
increasing the percentage of students earning high enough AP Exam grades to
stand out in the competitive college admission process and qualify for
college credit and placement,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s
senior vice president of Advanced Placement and college readiness.
Inclusion on the 2nd Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the following
criteria:
1. Examination of three years of AP data, from 2009 to 2011;
2. Increase in participation in/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts and at least 11 percent in small districts;
3. A steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
4. Performance levels maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of students in 2011 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2009, or the school has already attained a performance level in which more than 70 percent of the AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
The 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll is made up of only those public school districts that are simultaneously expanding opportunity and improving performance. The list includes 367 school districts across 43 states and Canada. Pennsylvania led all states with 34 public school districts named to the 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll, followed by Massachusetts and New York, both with 30. View the complete list (PDF)
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit
organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.
Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher
education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 5,900
of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to
promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board
helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition
to college through programs and services in college readiness and college
success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The
organization also serves the education community through research and
advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further
information, visit www.collegeboard.org.