AP Scores: MHA vs. The Nation

For the uninitiated, Advanced Placement Exams, or APs as they are known, are standardized culminating exams for college level courses given to advanced students in high schools across the country. They are graded on a scale of 1-5 with 3 representing a passing grade and a score of 4 or 5 often entitling the student to full college course credit once he or she matriculates at the university of his or her choice.

While we still have work to do in many areas, this year's results should engender significant pride in our students, our faculty, and our school community at large. Probably most impressive amongst this year's results are those from our two AP Psychology sections. All five of the girls in our Girls' School section scored a perfect 5 on the exam. Of the four boys in our Boys' School section, one scored a 5 and the other three received a 4. As the table demonstrates, these results far exceed the average results of comparable AP Psychology courses in other American high schools.

While only three students in our high schools took the AP Exam in English Language this year, their results were similarly impressive and similarly bested the national averages.

Our AP European History scores were slightly closer to the national average, but in the typical AP Euro course only 65.9% of exam takers scored a 3 or above. In our high schools, 83% scored a 3 or better.

With a 3 and a 4 amongst our two AP Physics takers, only AP Economics had a distribution akin to that of the national average.

In all of the above there is room to improve, and this coming year's students will have AP Calculus and AP Biology added to the mix. Nonetheless, to this year's students and to this year's teachers we tip our hats and congratulate them for a job very well done.