Greenwich Schools Make College Board’s "AP Honor Roll"

Greenwich Public Schools have been placed on the College Board's "AP Honor Roll" for having increased access to AP course work while maintaining the percentage who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP tests (out of a maximum 5), according to a release from Kim Eves at the Board of Education.

This is the fourth year the College Board has published its honor roll. A total of 477 school districts in the US and Canada made the list.

Inclusion on the "honor Roll' reflects the district's success at identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are likely to benefit from rigorous AP course work, according to the release. 

Since 2011, the Greenwich Public Schools has increased the number of students participating in AP by 132 (21.7%) while improving the number of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher by 106 (19.7%). 

“At GHS, we encourage our students to challenge themselves at the highest levels and we support them with expert teaching and guidance," said Greenwich High School Headmaster Chris Winters in the release.  

“Since we are a one high school district, we are pleased to carry this great honor for all of the GPS. Without the work of our elementary and middle school teachers, many high school students would not be ready to succeed in the AP program," said Superintendent of Schools William S. McKersie in the release.

Data from 2013 show that among African American, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students participate because their schools do not always offer the AP courses.

Greenwich Schools are committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds, according to the release.

Inclusion on the 4th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2011 to 2013, for the following criteria:

• 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; 

• District must increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students, and; 

• District must improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2013 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2011, 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.