Mason City Schools is among 388 school districts across the nation being honored by the College Board for gains in advanced placement (AP) course access and student performance.
The College Board released its AP Achievement List on Tuesday. Mason is one of 25 schools in the state and one of 3 in the Greater Cincinnati area to receive the recognition. Lakota and Madeira schools were also recognized.
“We are excited that the College Board recognizes our efforts to encourage students to stretch themselves by taking rigorous AP courses and tests,” said Amy Spicher, Mason Schools’ assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.
“AP prepares students for college, and we want all students to have the opportunity to earn college credit before leaving Mason. This is an academic win for our students, and a financial win for our families,” she said.
The award is given to districts that have opened advanced placement classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students, while maintaining or improving the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher, the score typically needed to earn college credit.
From 2008 to 2010, Mason has increased the number of students participating in AP from 392 to 529. Two-thirds of those students maintained AP Exam scores of 3 or higher, from 89 percent in 2008 to 85 percent in 2010.
The College Board, which administers the AP program, said the 388 schools on its AP Achievement List represent school districts in 43 states.
Trevor Packer, vice president of the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, says the goal is to broaden the program to include more minorities and students in general, while continuing to maintain or improve student performance.
“These districts are living proof that when access to AP is provided for the range and breadth of prepared and motivated students, districts can achieve even higher learning outcomes for their students — and the opportunity for so many more to earn college credit and placement — than when AP opportunities were restricted to a smaller segment of the high school population,” said Packer.
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