Lower Merion School District Named To AP Honor Roll

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA – For the second year in a row and the third time overall, the College Board named Lower Merion School District to its annual AP District Honor Roll.

LMSD is one 447 school districts in the United States and Canada, and one of 43 Pennsylvania districts, to be named to the eighth annual AP District Honor Roll.

The district was first named to the honor roll in 2013. It also made the list in 2014 and 2016.

Four other Montgomery County school districts were named to the list. See them all here.

"Congratulations to all the educators and administrators in this district who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to participate and succeed in AP," Head of AP and Instruction Trevor Packer said in a statement. "These educators and administrators are fostering a culture in their schools and classrooms that allows students to face new challenges and build the confidence to succeed."

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.

This year, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admissions process.

To be included on the list, districts must have met the following criteria in three years of AP data 2015 to 2017, looking across 38 AP Exams, including world language and culture.

• 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 percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
• Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2017 scoring a 3 or higher than those in 2015, 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.

Districts that meet these goals are designated with a symbol to highlight their work.

The complete 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found online here.

Image via Lower Merion School District