Bishop Kelley High School was recently named to the 2024 Gold Advanced Placement Honor Roll by the College Board the administration reported in a release today.
The AP Honor Roll program works to acknowledge schools around the United States that help students achieve excellence while maintaining broad access to challenging curriculum.
According to the College Board, Honor Roll schools, “Reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, maximizing college readiness.” The award also recognizes the broad access to advanced classes especially for students in underrepresented populations.
The AP Honor Roll distinguished schools in three main areas: college culture, college credit and college optimization.
Sixty-five percent of Bishop Kelley students in the Class of 2024 took at least one AP class and test during their time at the school. Fifty-three percent earned college credit by scoring at least a “3” on one AP test and ten percent of the class took at least five AP tests through their four years of high school.
Two hundred and seventy-five Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and five Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2024 with an extraordinary 82% scoring “3” or higher.
Twenty percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score.
Another thirty-three percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers.
The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students cover a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and one AP English Language and Composition students, followed by ninety students who took the AP United States Government test, fifty-five who took the AP United States History exam and fifty-one who took the AP English Literature exam.
Bishop Kelley offers AP tests in twenty-two different subject areas.
Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admissions officers that students have sought the most challenging curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students.
