Dec 17, 2023 By Karen Mansfield 4 min read

Local high schools named to AP School Honor Roll

Canon-McMillan, Chartiers-Houston, McGuffey, and Peters Township high schools in Washington County have been named to the 2022-23 AP School Honor Roll, which recognizes schools whose Advanced Placement programs are delivering results for students and broadening access. Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair high schools are among 18 Allegheny County high schools named to the honor roll.

The schools are among 85 public high schools to earn the recognition.

The AP School Honor Roll was launched in October 2023 and offers four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Peters Township achieved Gold distinction, while Canon-Mac, Chartiers-Houston, and McGuffey earned Bronze. Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon achieved Silver distinction.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams.

In the United States and Canada, 4,570 public and private schools – which represents 30% of eligible high schools – are being recognized on the AP School Honor Roll. The recipients represent a broad range of high schools, including private, public, and charter schools; large and small student bodies; rural and urban populations; and specialized high schools, along with generalized programs.

“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement, and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance – they represent the best of our AP program.”

McGuffey High School Principal Mark Bonus said, “We punch well above our weight when it comes to AP course offerings in a school with our enrollment – about 120 to 130 students.”

The high school offers 14 AP courses.

“I think the biggest take-away from this recognition is the resiliency shown by last year’s graduating class and their teachers,” said Bonus. “Remember, their learning was profoundly impacted by the shutdowns and closures they faced as freshmen in 2019-2020 and a hybrid year they faced as sophomores in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic,” said Bonus. “These two years represent foundational years of content acquisition that directly impacts student achievement in Advanced Placement Courses typically taken by juniors and seniors.”

Chartiers-Houston offers seven AP classes. Last year, 74 students took 129 AP exams, and 35 of those scored a 3 or higher.

Fifteen Chartiers-Houston students were recognized as AP Scholars. That recognition is awarded to students who attain scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Superintendent Gary Peiffer said the high school launched an AP Club this year to help students study and prepare for the exams.

At Canon-McMillan, 376 students took 621 AP courses, with 53% scoring a 3 or higher.

The school district offers 22 AP courses covering art, science, math, English, history, and music.

The district covers the cost for the exams.

Peters Township encourages students to take at least one of the 21 AP courses available.

“AP classes have a statistical connection to giving students a taste of what college is like,” said Peters Township High School Principal Dr. Lori Pavlik. “If our kids are going to college, they should have this opportunity.”

Last year, more than 70% of the graduating class was enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement course during their time at PTHS.

In 2023, 70.78% of PTHS test-takers scored a 3 or higher. Of the 551 students who took 1,210 AP Exams, 390 students scored a 3 or higher.

Eighty-seven students earned AP Scholar with Distinction Awards by earning at least an average score of 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on at least five or more exams; 39 students earned AP Scholar with Honors Awards by earning at least an average score of 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of a 3 or higher on at least four or more exams; and 70 students earned AP Scholar Recognition by earning a 3 or higher on three or more exams.

To be recognized on the AP School Honor Roll in a given year, a school must meet the following criteria for their students in the most recent graduating class:

College Culture: 40% or more of the graduating cohort took at least one AP exam during high school.

College Credit: 25% or more of the graduating cohort scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam during high school.

College Optimization: 2% or more of the graduating cohort took five or more AP exams during high school. At least one of those exams was taken in ninth or 10th grade, so that students are spreading their AP experience across grades rather than feeling disproportionate pressure in any single year.