The Daviess County Public Schools district has been named to the national Advanced Placement District Honor Roll by the College Board, based on overall excellence in challenging students to reach their greatest academic potential through rigorous AP courses.
DCPS is one of only 433 school districts in the United States and Canada to be awarded this designation.
“This honor is a tribute to the instructional leaders and teachers at Apollo and Daviess County high schools who commit themselves daily to challenging students to reach their greatest potentials,” said DCPS Superintendent Owens Saylor. “The rigorous AP courses prepare students for success beyond high school, both in college and in life.”
As recently reported by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, all students benefit from taking AP courses but data shows that minority and low-income students are significantly more likely to attend and successfully complete college when they are involved in AP studies and exams in math, science and English in high school.
The AdvanceKentucky program has been implemented in 109 high schools across Kentucky, including Apollo and Daviess County high schools. The program supports schools in implementing the National Math and Science Initiative Readiness Program under a partnership between the Kentucky Department of Education and KSTC. The goal of AdvanceKentucky is for students to achieve qualifying scores on AP tests in math, science and English in an open enrollment environment.
According to the College Board:
“Inclusion on the 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2014 to 2016, for the following criteria:
· “Increased 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;
· “Increased or maintained the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
· “Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2016 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2014, 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.”
DCHS Matt Mason said the school is honored to be recognized for its accomplishments in the Advanced Placement program. “It takes an entire school community to have success such as this, and we are blessed to have such great students, parents and staff at DCHS to make this happen,” Mason said. “Our AP teachers go above and beyond expectations providing the tools necessary for student success in and out of the classroom. AP coordinator Neil Hayden works very closely with students and staff to promote our AP programs for continued success and growth. It is our purpose to foster meaningful relationships with all students to push them to be their very best in and out of the classroom to prepare them for life after high school.”
Charles Broughton, who serves as DCPS director of secondary schools, was the principal at Apollo High School during the time for which the school is being recognized for this achievement. “I am very proud for Apollo High School to be a contributor in this recognition,” Broughton said. “I am equally proud of the staff and students for taking on the challenge of growing the AP program to the level it has reached in only a few short years. In May of 2010, only 69 AP tests were taken by students at AHS and only 36 percent reached the qualifying score of 3 or higher. In May of 2016, 438 tests were taken by AHS students with 55.4 percent scoring 3 or better. These results are a testament to the hard work, time and commitment by staff and students at Apollo High School!”
apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/score_reports_data/awards/232608.html
