The Lawrence Township public school district has been placed on the College Board’s fifth annual Advanced Placement District Honor Roll for the second consecutive year, according to Lawrence Township school district officials.
The school district is one of 547 districts in the United States and Canada to earn the distinction, for increasing access to Advanced Placement coursework while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on the examinations.
Reaching these goals indicates the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of Advanced Placement courses.
"We are delighted that for the second consecutive year, the exceptional work of our high school students, staff and administration has been recognized for the growth that the high school’s Advanced Placement program has realized, plus the increased number of students taking advantage of the more rigorous classes," said Superintendent of Schools Crystal Edwards.
Data from 2014 show that among African American, Hispanic and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for Advanced Placement courses, only about half of students are participating.
The first step to delivering the opportunity of Advanced Placement courses to students is providing access by ensuring courses are available, that gatekeeping stops and that the doors are equitably opened so these students can participate. The school district is committed to expanding the availability of Advanced Placement courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.
In 2014, more than 3,800 colleges and universities around the world received Advanced Placement scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admissions process. Many colleges and universities in the United States offered credit in one or more subjects for qualifying Advanced Placement scores.
Inclusion on the Advanced Placement District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of data, from 2012 to 2014, and looking across 34 Advanced Placement exams that include world language and culture.
Districts must increase participation or access to Advanced Placement courses by at least 4 percent in large districts, 6 percent in medium districts and 11 percent in small districts. They must also increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students.
Districts must improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of student in 2014 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2012, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its Advanced Placement students are scoring a 3 or higher.
