Submitted by Mr. Michael Mountz
College Board has released Advanced Placement (AP) exam results from the 2016-17 school year, and York Suburban High School students have earned some of the best scores in school history. Last year, 76 students scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam, including 28.6% of all seniors. A score of three or higher qualifies students to earn postsecondary coursework credit at most colleges and universities.
Overall, 90 students completed 131 total exams across 14 separate AP subjects. At York Suburban, 84.4 % of AP test takers earned a score of three or higher, compared to 67.1% and 60.3% of test takers at the statewide and global levels, respectively.
College Board awarded AP Scholar recognition to 18 York Suburban students. The AP Scholar designation is awarded to students who earn a three or higher on three different AP exams.
“At first, I took AP courses for the experience and to make sure I was prepared for college,” said Zette Pflaum, who was one of only three York Suburban students to earn AP Scholar recognition as a junior last year. “Later, I took them with the goal of earning college credit, but the extra challenge was nice, too. I knew if I took AP courses while still in high school, it would be easier to transfer the skills that I acquired into a college setting.”
College Board has established AP curriculum for a variety of subject areas in order to help high schools provide students with college-level coursework. Individual teachers have considerable latitude when implementing the curriculum within their respective courses. At York Suburban, this has led to some creative solutions when teaching complex subject matter.
Last year, York Suburban’s AP U.S. government and political science class conducted a public opinion poll of Spring Garden Township that correctly predicted Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race within half of a percentage point of the actual outcome. Historically, AP biology classes from York Suburban have partnered with the York Water Company in order to analyze stream health and water quality at Mill Creek. Students also visit Millersville University to complete a cadaver dissection lab. These are just a few examples of the innovative teaching practices that can be found in York Suburban’s AP courses.
Several York Suburban courses that are not officially AP-aligned also help to prepare students for closely related AP exams. For example, 11 students earned a three or higher on an AP language and culture exam last year after completing a corresponding level-five world language course at the high school.
York Suburban has expanded its AP-aligned course offerings in recent years and plans to continue to do so. The high school currently offers 12 official AP courses and is in the process of developing additional courses for the 2018-19 school year and beyond.