HCPSS Gets Prestigious Honor

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — The Howard County Public School System has been named to the annual AP District Honor Roll, which recognizes schools that increase access and performance related to Advanced Placement programs. More than 370 school districts across the U.S. and Canada were recognized on the 9th annual list.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) was the only school district in Maryland on the list for 2018.

The College Board, which sponsors the Advanced Placement program, determines which districts make the Honor Roll based on three years of data from 2016 to 2018.

All the school systems that made the list, including HCPSS, increased the number of Advanced Placement courses for minority students while also improving or maintaining the rate at which participating students scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.

To qualify, large school districts had to show there was at least 4 percent more participation and access to Advanced Placement programs. Medium districts had to see at least a 6 percent increase, and small districts had to see at least 11 percent.

HCPSS, which has an enrollment of more than 56,000 students, is categorized as a large school district.

HCPSS has achieved the honor for multiple years. It also made the honor roll in 2017, which looked at data from 2015 to 2017.

See all 373 school districts which made the AP District Honor Roll for 2018.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

(Photo credit: Charles Dharapak/Associated Press.)