(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Six Kentucky public school districts have been named to the 6th Annual Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll, the College Board has announced.

The districts are among 425 public and private districts in the United States and Canada that have shown a commitment to expanding access to AP coursework while also improving student performance.

The Kentucky public school districts recognized include:

  • Berea Independent
  • Boyle County
  • Bullitt County
  • Fort Thomas Independent
  • Hopkins County
  • Logan County

Fort Thomas Independent and Logan County have received the award multiple years in a row, as has the Archdiocese of Louisville which also was named to the AP Honor Roll.

Inclusion on the AP District Honor roll is based on three years of AP data (2013-15) during which a district must:

  • increase 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
  • increase or maintain the percentages of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students
  • improve 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.

While students from all backgrounds can benefit from taking challenging coursework in high school, data from 2015 shows that nationwide among African American, Hispanic and Native American students with the potential to succeed in AP courses, only about half enroll in this rigorous coursework.

“Kentucky is committed to closing the opportunity gap for students,” Commissioner Stephen L. Pruitt said. “So, we must ensure equitable access to AP courses for all students and we must encourage all students to participate, not just those who typically have done so in the past. Research shows that when presented with rigorous coursework and provided with the necessary supports, students rise to the occasion. In some cases, that success may even empower them to attend college.”

There are more than 30 AP courses, each of which connects directly to a wide variety of college majors and careers.

In recent years, Kentucky has worked to expand AP access to, and participation and success in academically rigorous coursework such as AP classes through the AdvanceKentucky program. A total of 101 Kentucky public high schools in 74 districts have participated since its inception in 2008.

The AP participation and performance of various student groups in Kentucky’s public high schools has increased significantly under AdvanceKentucky’s mission to engage more students traditionally underrepresented in AP, including minority and low income students.

Of the six public school districts named to this year’s AP Honor Roll, three – Bullitt County, Hopkins County and Logan County – have participated in AdvanceKentucky.

In 2015, more than 3,800 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.

The complete 6th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found here.