LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant School District was among four in Arkansas that have made[more] the College Board's prestigious "AP Honor Roll" for their improvements on Advanced Placement tests.
Along with Bryant, Crossett, Greenbrier and Monticello each posted significant gains in AP access and student performance over the past three years.
"These districts offer examples of the good news in education throughout Arkansas," said Arkansas Education Commissioner Dr. Tom Kimbrell. "Students, teachers and administrators in Bryant, Crossett, Greenbrier and Monticello should be proud of this award. We need to continue to provide avenues all across Arkansas for students to take rigorous classes as they prepare for college and careers."
According to the College Board, here are the numbers showing the Bryant district’s performance from 2009 to 2011:
Bryant increased the number of students participating in AP from 356 to 439 while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 28 percent to 40 percent. (The majority of U.S. colleges and universities grant college credit or advanced placement for a score of 3 or above on AP exams.)
“Participation in college-level AP courses can level the playing field for underserved students, give them the confidence needed to succeed in college, and raise standards and performance in key subjects like science and math,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “The AP Honor Roll districts are defying expectations by expanding access while enabling theirstudents to maintain or improve their AP Exam scores.”
For the other three schools:
— Crossett. Increased the number of students participating in AP from 70 to 105, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 7 percent to 19 percent .
— Greenbrier. Increased the number of students participating in AP from 206 to 244, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 33 percent to 38 percent.
— Monticello. Increased the number of students participating in AP from 45 to 63, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 31 percent to 37 percent.
