NORTH FORK – Chawanakee Unified is one of 547 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 5th Annual AP District Honor Roll for increasing access to AP course work while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 + on AP Exams.
The year 2014 is a milestone for the AP District Honor Roll, and more districts are achieving this objective than ever before, say promoters. Reaching these goals indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for the opportunity of AP. Since 2012, Chawanakee Unified has increased the number of students participating in AP while improving the number of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher.
“We have worked hard to provide a comprehensive school program that provides both an emphasis on 21st century skill development in order to prepare our students for careers in the modern economy, as well as providing traditional academic programs designed to push students to new academic heights, such as the AP program,” says Superintendent Bob Nelson. “This recognition assists us in sharing with our community that we are committed to providing a core academic program that challenges every child.”
According to Chawanakee, data from 2014 show that among African Americans, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating in AP programs. The first step to delivering the opportunity of AP to students is providing access by ensuring courses are available, that gate-keeping stops, and that the doors are equitably opened so that these students can participate. Chawanakee Unified is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.
“The devoted teachers and administrators in this district are delivering an undeniable benefit to their students: opportunity. When coupled with a student’s hard work, such opportunities can have myriad outcomes, whether building confidence, learning to craft effective arguments, earning credit for college, or persisting to graduate from college on time,” says Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice-president of AP and Instruction. “We applaud your conviction that a more diverse population of students is ready for the sort of rigor that will prepare them for success in college.
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective or all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to simultaneously expand access and improve student performance.
In 2014, more than 3,800 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advance placement, and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.
Inclusion on the 5th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP date, from 2012 to 2014, looking across 34 AP Exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used:
Districts must increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts and 11% in small districts. They must increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students. Districts must finally improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2014 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2012, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30% or more are low-income students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch, a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.
Any additional questions can be directed to Chawanakee Unified Superintendent, Bob Nelson, at 559-877-6209. The Chawanakee Unified School District is an innovative, project-based, 21st century school district in the Sierra Foothills of Eastern Madera County, spanning the communities of North Fork, O’Neals, Bass Lake, Coarsegold, Friant and Tesoro Viejo.
For more information visit www.chawanakee.k12.ca.us
