MHS Earns Honors from College Board

In a release from the Massachusetts Department of Education, officials announced that 46 Massachusetts public school districts were named to the College Board's 2012 AP District Honor Roll for expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum and maintaining or improving the percent of students scoring 3 or higher.

Dr. Dias, principal of Medway High School (MHS) pointed out that MHS is one of 9 public schools in Massachusetts that have earned this award for more than one year. “I am pleased, but not surprised, by this recognition,” said Dias. “We push students to enroll in challenging courses, such as AP, which exposes them to the academic rigor necessary for college.” In 2012, 237 MHS students took 16 different AP subject exams with a total of 510 total exams administered. This number of tested students represents almost 40% of eligible students (in grades 10-12).

According to the College Board, more school districts from Massachusetts earned a spot on the honor roll than any other state in the nation. A total of 539 districts across the U.S. and Canada were selected for the 3rd annual AP Honor Roll.

"I am proud of our students and teachers for continued progress in boosting participation and performance on AP exams," said Governor Deval Patrick. "We will continue to expand our efforts to help even more students enroll in these rigorous college preparatory courses that will help prepare them for success in the classroom and beyond."

"Today's news is an affirmation of our commitment to expanding access to high quality educational programs for our students," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "The AP exam is a key indicator of a student's future success, and I am thrilled to see more districts offering students options for rigorous coursework."

"I congratulate these school districts for their efforts to expand access to, and success in, coursework that signals readiness for a college level curriculum," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. "In Massachusetts, we are encouraging our schools to upgrade their program of study so that all students are ready for success beyond high school. The Commonwealth's status of being the state with the most AP honor roll awardees is evidence of progress toward this goal."

"It is encouraging to see an increasing number of districts offering AP course options and more and more students taking and succeeding in these courses," said Education Secretary Paul Reville. "We must now accelerate our efforts to ensure all students are taking advantage of challenging coursework that will prepare them for success in college and career."

The Patrick-Murray Administration and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have developed a number of initiatives to ensure that all students are prepared for success in college and career and have the necessary skills to fill open jobs in Massachusetts and our increasingly global economy. Governor Patrick has begun to implement a plan to unify the state's fifteen community colleges into a strengthened statewide system responsive to both local and statewide employer needs. 

The Governor's Gateway Cities Education Agenda has also focused attention on early career education as a means to better connect what students are learning in the classroom to meaningful employment beyond school. Through these initiatives and others, the Administration is setting new expectations for college and career readiness that will align the Commonwealth's educational system with those of competitor nations around the world.

In June 2012, a task force of the state's leading educators, employers, and academic labor experts issued a report that included a set of recommendations to ensure that every student graduates from high school ready to pursue the next steps on the path to a successful career or post-secondary education. 

AP is a rigorous academic program that offers more than 30 courses in a wide range of subjects and college-level assessments developed and scored by college and university faculty members and experienced AP teachers. According to the College Board, a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam represents the score point that is predictive of college success and college graduation.

Citation: http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=7117