TJ is being honored along with DPS with the AP honor roll. graphic by Anja Oss.
DPS earns recognition once again on the AP Honor Roll.
Every three years, the College Board honors school districts around the United States that increase access to Advanced Placement classes while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning passing scores on the tests. Denver Public Schools is once again being recognized for its variety of AP classes offered and high percentage of students who earn a score of a 3 or higher.
AP classes allow students to earn college credits while still in high school. These classes are much cheaper than college courses and can help students graduate from college sooner. In the last decade, DPS has tripled the amount of passing AP scores. By offering these higher-level classes that allow students to get college credit while still in high school, DPS is motivating students to prepare for advanced class work. DPS superintendent Tom Boasberg explained, “We are very committed to ensuring our students have the opportunity to take and succeed in our most rigorous, college preparatory courses. The AP Honor Roll recognition demonstrates the hard work of our students, teachers and staff.”
The data examination for this AP honor roll took place from 2013 to 2015, spanning 34 AP exams. The criteria for this accolade included increased participation and access to AP, increased or sustained percentage of exams taken by minority students, and improvement over the previous examination period. DPS was one of nine Colorado school districts honored. “AP honor roll is the distinction that DPS has gotten because there has been an increase in qualifying scores,” described TJ Principal Resident Mike Christoff. “How that applies to TJ is that our AP scores and our AP pass rate has increased as well over the years and so we have been a large contributor to the fact that DPS has been honored with this recognition.” The other Colorado districts honored were Archdiocese of Denver, East Grand School District 2, Roaring Fork District RE-1, Steamboat Springs School District RE-2, Telluride School district R-1, Weld County School District RE-1 Gilcrest, Weld County School District RE-5J Johnson-Milken, and Weld County School District RE-2 Eaton. DPS is also being honored for having 30% or greater enrollment of American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanic/ Latino students, 30% or greater enrollment of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch, and achieving this honor for multiple years. Keep up the good work, Spartans!
