Westlake on AP honor roll for second consecutive year

Westlake City Schools is one of fewer than 400 public school districts in the nation being honored by the College Board with a place on the 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll.

Westlake is one of 23 Ohio school districts to be listed on the honor roll and is one of only two Northeast Ohio school districts (the other is Aurora City Schools) to achieve this distinction for two consecutive years.

The award honors those districts that increase access to Advanced Placement coursework while maintaining the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams. Achieving both goals indicates that a district is successfully identifying motivated, academically-prepared students who are likely to benefit most from AP coursework.

Since 2009, Westlake increased the number of students participating in AP from 206 to 266 while maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher at 74 percent. The majority of U.S. colleges and universities grant college credit or advanced placement for these scores.

“This achievement aligns with our mission of educating for excellence and our Continuous Improvement Plan goals of working with our students to achieve at the highest levels,” said Westlake Superintendent Dr. Daniel J. Keenan Jr.

The 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll is made up of only those public school districts that are simultaneously expanding opportunity and improving performance. The list includes 367 school districts across 43 states and Canada.

“Participation in college-level AP courses can level the playing field for underserved students, give them the confidence needed to succeed in college, and raise standards and performance in key subjects like science and math,” said College Board President Gaston Capteron. “The AP Honor Roll districts are defying expectations by expanding access while enabling their students to maintain or improve their AP Exam scores.”

Inclusion on the 2nd Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the following criteria:

1. Examination of three years of AP data from 2009 to 2011;
2. Increase in participation in/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;
3. A steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students;
4. Performance levels maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of students in 2011 scores a 3 or higher to those in 2009, or the school has already attained a performance level in which more than 70 percent of the AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.