UCS students set new records in Advanced Placement

Utica Community Schools students have set record numbers in participation and achievement in college-level Advanced Placement (AP) exams this past year, according to the College Board.

The College Board, which administers AP, reported:

• The number of Advanced Placement exams taken by UCS students has nearly tripled over the past ten years – with more than 3,000 AP exams being taken this past year.
• This year, 391 UCS students earned scholar status for earning a score most colleges use to award credit on more than three AP exams.

AP courses, which are offered at UCS secondary schools, give students the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation’s colleges and universities.

Students must successfully pass an exam administered by the College Board to earn the college credit. Students earn scores on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest and 3 being the score most colleges require to award credit to high school students.

In the 2014-2015 school year, 1,999 students in grades 9-12 took 3,078 AP Exams. In comparison, in the 2004-2005 school year, 591 UCS students took 1,070 AP exams.

The College Board noted that overall performance has remained consistent, despite the growth in students taking the exam.
This past year, 63 percent of all AP exam scores in Utica Community Schools received a score of 3 or higher. In 2005, 65 percent of the UCS exams received a 3 or higher.

“I commend our students for increasing the rigor of their academic choices through Advanced Placement,” superintendent Dr. Christine Johns said. “Thanks to the support of our teachers, administrators and parents, more UCS students are positioning themselves for post-secondary success by exceling in AP. More importantly, our district has maintained its strong level of success even as we increase the number of students earning college credit in our schools.”

Greg Walker, The College Board Midwest Regional Vice President, said: “More Utica students with the potential to succeed in AP courses have been able to access those opportunities and benefit from the challenging coursework that research clearly shows is a vital component in helping students transition to college and beyond. The College Board is proud to work with leaders in the UCS community and across Michigan to deliver increased opportunities for students.”

In addition to reporting the growth for UCS, the College Board announced nearly 400 scholar awards for UCS students.
Specifically, the College Board granted:

• AP Scholar status to 185 students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
• AP Scholar with Honor status to 72 students who received an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• AP Scholar with Distinction status to 116 students who received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
• National Scholar status to 18 students who received an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

Utica Community Schools offers 29 AP courses at its high schools.