C
anon-McMillan School District is
among 43 districts in Pennsylvania
– and the only one in Washington
County – to be named to the Sixth-Annual
AP District Honor Roll.
The College Board recently announced
the 6th Annual AP District Honor Roll — a
list of 425 districts across the U.S. and
Canada being honored for increasing
access to AP® course work while
simultaneously maintaining or increasing
the percentage of students earning scores
of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
Reaching
these goals
indicates
that these
districts are
successfully
identifying
motivated, academically prepared students
who are likely to benefit from rigorous AP
course work.
The first step to delivering the
opportunity of AP to students is providing
access by ensuring courses are available,
that gatekeeping stops, and that the doors
are equitably opened so these students
can participate. AP Honor Roll Districts are
committed to expanding the availability of
AP courses among prepared and motivated
students of all backgrounds.
Inclusion on the 6th Annual AP District
Honor Roll is based on the examination of
AP Honor Roll Districts are
committed to expanding the
availability of AP courses
among prepared and motivated
students of all backgrounds.
three years of AP data, from 2013 to 2015,
for the following criteria.
• Increased 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;
• Increased or maintained the percentage
of exams taken by African American,
Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/
Alaska Native students, and;
• Improved performance levels when
comparing the percentage of students in
2015 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2013,
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.
“We know that success on advanced
placement exams now can greatly reduce
the costs of college later and that success
in rigorous courses in high school helps
to ensure college readiness,” high school
counselor and AP coordinator Karen
Rubican said. “That is why we actively work
to identify students who would be able to
handle the rigorous courses available in
the Canon-McMillan Advanced Placement
curriculum via College Board’s AP Potential
tool.”
She added: “And, our AP faculty goes to
great lengths to prepare our students for
success on the AP exams. Last year, twothirds of the students who took Advanced
Placement exams earned a qualifying
score.”
District Superintendent Michael Daniels
also lauded the recognition.
“We are so proud, not only of the AP
course offerings afforded our students, but
of the teaching efforts of our teachers and
especially, our AP students’ performance on
the exams,” he said.
Canon-McMillan’s board of directors
recognized the achievement at its February
meeting, where a banner acknowledging
the achievement was unfurled and high
school Principal David Helinski said a few
words – thanking everyone who helped
CMSD achieve the distinction.
He introduced the AP teachers – who
were in attendance- and who he said
consistently go above and beyond to help
their students excel on the annual exams.
“Excellence is not an accident,” Mr.
Helinski said.
Canon-Mac | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 63
C AN ON - MAC SC HOOL DI STRI C T NE WS
Canon-McMillan School District Named
to Sixth-Annual AP District Honor Roll
Canon-Mac
CMSD administrators
and teachers
gathered at a
presentation
recognizing CMHS’s
inclusion in the SixthAnnual District Honor
Roll at the February
school board
meeting.