CCSD honored for improving advanced placement focus

The Clark County School District was honored nationally as a College Board Advanced Placement District of the Year for leading large district schools in increasing the number of students taking advanced classes and improving successful scores on AP exams.

In 2014, 55 percent of all AP students earned what is considered a successful score, a 3 or higher out of 5. The district also was credited for increasing student participation in AP classes by 9 percent annually.

“This award reinforces that our district is headed in the right direction and aligns with our Pledge of Achievement goals to close achievement gaps, increase graduation rates and have students college and career ready by increasing the number of students taking AP courses,” Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky said. “Our students and staff are setting goals and reaching them, which positively impacts our entire community and our economy.”

Skorkowsky earlier this week met with Trevor Packer, senior vice president of Advanced Placement and Instruction at the College Board, who came to Las Vegas earlier this week and announced the honor at Clark High School.

“The devoted teachers and administrators in CCSD are delivering an undeniable benefit to their students: opportunity,” Packer said. “The College Board applauds the district’s leadership to ensure that a more diverse population of students is ready for the sort of rigor that will prepare them for success in college.”

The district was one of 547 school districts in the U.S. and Canada to be named to the AP District Honor Roll. From that list Clark County was named as the AP District of the Year for large-sized school districts — those with more than 50,000 students.

Clark County was credited with increasing the percentage of minority AP students scoring a 3 or higher on the exams.

Successful completion of AP college level course work in high school can be recognized as college credit later and can save $1,779 in tuition at a public four-year college and $6,000 from a private college, according to district officials.

The district will be officially honored in Austin, Texas at the 2015 AP Annual Conference in July.

Contact Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512. Find him on Twitter: @fjmccabe