Eighteen students at Williamsport Area High School have earned AP Scholar awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on Advanced Placement Exams.
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.
About 20 percent of the 2.1 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students' performance on AP Exams.
One student, senior Daniel Ma, qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
Two students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, which is granted to students who receive 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. These students are Ma and 2012 graduate Brandon Route. Three students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning 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.
These students are 2012 graduates: Danielle Confair, Adison Godfrey and William Rosenow.
Thirteen students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.
Those students are seniors Amanda Hampton, Olivia Kuzio, Collin Lakatos, Brian Thomas Wolf LeBlanc, and Eric Stopper; as well as 2012 graduates Christian Hague, Hannah Maddy, Mikhaela Maneval, Adam Marchese, Taylor Martin, Cassandra Moore, Gabrielle Schusler and Tyler Weaver.
The awards are based on last spring's test scores, which were released this summer.
The latest news on this year's round of AP Scholars arrives on the heels of the high school having also been placed on the College Board's AP Achievement List in 2010 and 2011 for its expanding opportunities and improving student performance.
According to the organization, the "honor roll" includes schools that have "simultaneously achieved increases in access to AP courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of three or higher on an AP exam."
Since 2009, the high school has seen nearly a 272-percent increase in the number of students taking the exams, a 335-percent increase in students passing the exams and a 347-percent increase in the number of AP Exams completed.
In 2011, AP exam scores returned to reveal the high school's passage rate outranked both state and global averages - a first-time achievement in at least the last five years.
"I applaud and I'm pleased with our school and students' efforts reflected in our AP scores and data," said Head Principal Michael Reed. "I'm proud of our team for not only our Advanced Placement performance but for how we have been working to improve all areas of our school."
