A little pep, a little rally and a whole lot of cheer spread throughout Pasadena ISD on Wednesday, as it celebrated being one of only 14 Texas school districts, and 477 districts in the U.S. and Canada, to be named to the College Board’s 4th Annual AP
® District Honor Roll for 2013.
Pasadena ISD earned the national distinction for increasing student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) course work while simultaneously increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on the exams.
“We are extremely proud of the students and teachers who have brought this kind of recognition to our district and school,” said J. Frank Dobie High School Principal Franklin Moses. “You studied hard, you worked hard and now we are here to celebrate you.”
In addition to this major achievement, representatives from the Dell Foundation presented checks totaling $111,900 to Advanced Placement students at Dobie, Sam Rayburn, Pasadena, South Houston and Memorial High School during pep rallies throughout the day.
Reaching these goals indicates that Pasadena ISD has successfully identified, motivated academically prepared students to benefit from rigorous AP course work.
"Pasadena ISD students have taken the high road, accepting challenges that a lot of students would not choose," School Board President Jack Bailey said. "Their hard work and sacrifices putting in the extra effort required for the AP program will benefit students as they enter college and the workforce."
Since 2011, Pasadena ISD has increased the number of AP Exams taken from 3,186 to 3,382 in 2013, with 1,119 students achieving qualified scores of 3.0 or higher on AP Exams.
In 2013, more than 3,300 colleges and universities around the world accepted AP scores for college credit, advanced placement and/or consideration in the admission process.
Data from 2013 show that among African-American, Hispanic and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating because their schools do not always offer the AP course for which they have potential.
“We are honored to have students like you representing our district and state at such a high level,” said Pasadena ISD Board Member Fred Roberts. “You make us proud and we congratulate you on your accomplishments.”
The district has been committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds at each high school campus.
"We applaud the extraordinary efforts of the devoted teachers and administrators in these districts who are offering more students the opportunity to engage in rigorous college-level course work," said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president. "These outcomes are a powerful testament to educators' belief that a more diverse population of students is ready for the sort of rigor that will prepare them for success in college."
Inclusion on the 4th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data from 2011 to 2013, for the following criteria. Districts must: increase participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts; and, increase or maintain the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and, improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2013 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2011, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
Overall, Texas ranked 13th nationally in the percentage of 2012 graduates participating in AP. Over the last decade, AP participation and success in Texas have increased steadily.
DOBIE HS PEP RALLY ALBUM
PASADENA HS PEP RALLY ALBUM
SOUTH HOUSTON HS PEP RALLY ALBUM
SAM RAYBURN HS PEP RALLY ALBUM
MEMORIAL HS ALBUM
