Peters Township, Canon-McMillan, Chartiers-Houston, and McGuffey high schools in Washington County have been named to the 2022-23 AP School Honor Roll, which recognizes schools whose Advanced Placement programs deliver results for students and broaden access. Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair high schools are among 18 Allegheny County high schools named to the honor roll.
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 allows students 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 – representing 30% of eligible high schools – are 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 and 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.”
Peters Township encourages students to take at least one of the 21 AP courses.
“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, over 70% of the graduating class enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement course during their time at PTHS.
In 2023, 70.78% of PTHS test-takers scored a three or higher. Of the 551 students who took 1,210 AP Exams, 390 achieved a three or higher.
Eighty-seven students earned AP Scholar with Distinction Awards by making 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 making at least an average score of 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of a three or higher on at least four or more exams; and 70 students earned AP Scholar Recognition by making a three 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 three 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 students are spreading their AP experience across grades rather than feeling disproportionate pressure in any year.
The complete list is available at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-school-honor-roll-national-report.pdf
