LHHS, Arkansas students improve AP exam scores

PEARCY — Lake Hamilton High School and other Arkansas students continue to make improvements on Advanced Placement exams.

According to College Board, which released its “10th Annual AP Report to the Nation” this week, Arkansas public and private high school students took 13,933 exams in May 2013 that resulted in scores of 3, 4 or 5. A score of 3 or higher is generally accepted for college credit.

The potential cost savings total more than $ 10 million.

The figures reflect an increase from 2012, when the total number of exams was 12,932, resulting in potential cost savings of more than $ 7 million.

“These scores show that Arkansas students are seizing the opportunity to excel as they prepare for college and careers,” Department of Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell, said. “The AP program not only challenges students, it allows them to earn college credit in the process.”

Lake Hamilton has been recognized for the last several years as one of the leading AP schools in the state. The school has been a part of the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science for the past three years.

Each student at a school in the AAIMS program who scores a three or better on an AP exam in math, science or English receives $ 100 per qualifying score from AAIMS.

“We always show the benefit,” said principal Kirk Nance. “Our teachers go to classes and promote their AP courses.”

The 303 students that took AP courses at Lake Hamilton during the 2012- 2013 school year earned qualifying scores that ranked them five points higher than the state’s average. Students took 665 AP exams in 15

different courses.

AP courses can provide background for college courses, whether students pass the final exams or not. Nance said teachers have received positive feedback from students about how AP courses helped prepare them for college classes and material.

“It has just become the culture that students have understood the value in those AP courses, the rigor involved and how it prepares them for college,” Nance said. “They kind of sell themselves.”

“We’re pleased to see so many more Arkansas students are making higher scores,” said Shane Broadway, Arkansas Department of Higher Education director.

“We know this improves college readiness and increases the likelihood of college completion — good for each individual student and Arkansas as a whole.”

College Board, the nonprofit entity that provides AP and SAT assessments, reported that the class of 2013 in Arkansas public schools took 12,140 exams that resulted in scores of 3 or higher. This has significantly increased from 2003, when 3,410 exams met this criteria.

“This success can be attributed to Act 2152 of 2005, which made Arkansas the only state that pays for AP exams,” Kimbrell said. “As a result, the financial barrier for a lot of students was removed.”

Nance said Lake Hamilton is always open to adding additional courses, but the high school likely offers its maximum number of AP courses possible at this time.

“We always look to add whatever is best for our students,” Nance said. “In our different subjects, we have AP classes in almost every one of them.

“We have looked at adding others in other areas, but right now, we are pretty satisfied with our course offering.”