By Nicole Thomas
Starkville High School is one of only two schools in Mississippi to be named to the College Board’s AP District Honor Roll for significant gains in student access and success. The College Board recognized SHS for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
According to the College Board, reaching these goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP.
The AP Five Year School Summary Report released in August shows SHS students earned their highest marks in five year on AP exams, with the percentage of students earning a 3 or higher passing the state and national average. Sixty-five percent of students at SHS scored a 3 or higher on their AP Exam in 2015 compared to 61 percent of students nationally and 37 percent of students in Mississippi. In addition, the number of students taking AP courses has increased from 111 in 2011 to 190 in 2015 while the number of AP tests administered increased from 133 in 2011 to 258 in 2015.
“While the administration has worked hard to provide the students and instructors the environment and motivation necessary for them to be success, the real credit for this achievement lies with the students and teachers,” said SHS Principal David Baggett.
Inclusion on the 6th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2013 to 2015, looking across 34 AP Exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used.
Districts must:
- Increase participation/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;
- Increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
- Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2015 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2013 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
“That the committed teachers and administrators in this district have both expanded AP access and also helped their students achieve high levels of performance on AP Exams shows they’re delivering opportunity in their schools and classrooms, and it is a real testament to their belief that a more diverse population of young people is ready for the challenge of college,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Congratulations to these teachers and administrators, and to their hard-working students.”