DPS Awarded Advanced Placement Honor Roll Distinction

Feb. 5, 2018

Contact: Alex Renteria, Manager of Media Relations, Alexandra_Renteria@dpsk12.org

College Board Data Release Shows Significant Gains in Student Access and Success

Denver – Denver Public Schools (DPS) is one of 447 school districts in the United States and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the Eighth Annual AP ^® District Honor Roll. To be included on the honor roll, districts must demonstrate an increase in the number of students participating in Advanced Placement (AP) courses while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of three or higher.

This accolade marks the fourth time DPS has earned this award, indicating strong district progress in successfully expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds. The College Board previously named DPS the AP District of the Year Award in 2016 for being a national leader among large school districts.

“It is an honor to receive this recognition. AP is a critical pillar in our ability to provide access for students to be able to persist in college and career beyond high school,” said Nicole Veltzé, DPS Assistant Superintendent of the Division of Secondary Education.

Developed by the College Board, the AP program offers high school students college-level courses and exams, which results in students having the opportunity to get a head start on earning college credit. DPS has offered AP courses for more than 30 years and, in that time, has experienced exponential growth in both student participation and course offerings. In 2005, 853 DPS students took advantage of AP courses; today, that number has grown to more than 9,700 students.

Inclusion in the AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2015 to 2017, looking across 38 AP exams, including world language and culture. In order to win the award, DPS demonstrated the following:

Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4%
Increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams scoring three or higher on at least one AP Exam
Improved or maintained performance levels

“We want to congratulate all the DPS educators who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to participate and succeed in AP,” said Trevor Packer, College Board Vice President of AP and Instruction.

One of our five goals in the district’s strategic plan — the Denver Plan 2020 — is to ensure our students graduate college- and career-ready. DPS provides a variety of supports and services for students and their families, not just on their path to graduation, but to ensure their success in a globally-connected, knowledge-based economy. For more information on DPS’ college and career readiness services, visit collegeandcareer.dpsk12.org.

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