Braintree High Students Earning High AP Exam Scores

BRAINTREE, MA - Superintendent Frank Hackett and School Committee Chairperson Lisa Heger had some good news during last week’s school budget hearing in front of the Ways and Means Committee.

During the 2014-15 school year, students in Braintree took a record 635 Advance Placement exams, with the vast majority of students earning at least a three on the exams.

According to data from the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 167 of the exams scored at least a three out of five, 198 scored a four, and 141 obtained a perfect score.

Nearly 80 percent of AP exams taken scored in the three to five range. About 40 percent of Braintree High School students took at least one AP exam.

“If you look at the performance of this school system, it’s very difficult to argue that it’s not one of the best,” Hackett said.

Hackett added that the school district is outpacing the state and national averages for AP exams, SAT scores, and PARCC.

“That speaks volumes and fundamentally representative of the type of school system we have,” Town Councilor and committee member Stephen O’Brien said.

Councilor Shannon Hume also praised the school district for their performance.

“When (the students) get into college, they are so well prepared and it’s not that much of a struggled as other students from other communities,” she said.

Students can earn college credit by earning a four or a five on the exams. Many colleges and universities also accept a three.

Click here to see the full report on Braintree’s AP results.