OHS Named to AP School Honor Roll

[Hillsborough, NC] – College Board announced that Orange High School in Orange County Schools (NC) has been named to the 2024 Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Bronze Level distinction for College Culture, Silver Level for College Credit, and Gold Level for College Optimization. 

The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.

 

 

Orange High School earned recognition because 45% of seniors (Bronze Level) took at least one AP Exam at any point during high school (regardless of score), 34% of seniors (Silver Level) scored 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam to earn college credit. At the Gold Level for College Optimization, 10% of seniors took five or more AP Exams, where at least one exam was taken in ninth or tenth grade!

Expanding course offerings and the population of students who take AP courses has been a priority for Principal Jason Johnson and his staff, and the effort has paid off. OHS offers 18 distinct AP courses, some with multiple options for a total of 28 sections taught last year by 17 different faculty members.

Principal Jason Johnson said, “We have a strong AP culture here, in a way that allows our students to be well-rounded and fully engaged.”

He noted that students participating in arts, athletics, and academics also receive support from trusted adults who know their unique needs to ensure that they can be successful.

See the complete AP Honor Roll Progress Report for Orange High School

“Most importantly,” Mr. Johnson added, “we are working to ensure that AP classes are appropriate for all our students. That happens when we are successful in creating an environment where all students – especially our students of color who have often been underrepresented – feel welcome and challenged in rigorous classes up to and including Advanced Placement.”

Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC, is a comprehensive high school that offers approximately 1,200 students “a full spectrum of academic, career and technical, and extracurricular opportunities for students in grades 9-12 in a block schedule format,” per the school website: http://ohs.orangecountyfirst.com/our-school.

“AP gives students an opportunity to engage with college-level work, to earn college credit and placement, and to potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools that have earned this distinction are proof that it is possible to expand access to these college-level courses and still drive strong performance – they represent the best of AP.”

College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) enables students to pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both—while still in high school. Through AP courses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a challenging exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue—skills that prepare them for college and beyond.

See more information on the College Board AP Honor Roll website.