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Arcadia High School Students Relieved; The Wait for AP Scores is Over
Arcadia Weekly Jul 25, 2017
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Arcadia High School Junior Derek Jing earned all fives in the AP tests that he took not only this year but also last year – an accomplishment that few high school students have achieved.
– Courtesy photo
By Bradford Yau
Summer: a period often heralded as a school-free and stress-free time. This is true for the most part, except when considering that it is also the time when AP scores are released. These results are met with either a sigh of relief or a disappointed frown. However, to most Arcadia High School (AHS) students, a smile of satisfaction will appear upon logging into their College Board account, with knowledge that they got the score that they desired. Let’s take a closer look on why this school is so successful when it comes to such a difficult test.
One might ask, “What is an AP score?” The “AP” score, short for Advanced Placement, is given based on the performance of a student on a college level test for a specific subject. Each test ranges from all subjects, whether it’s Biology in the Science field or U.S. History in the Social Science field. Scoring falls within the numbers one through five, where one is deemed unsatisfactory and five is considered very satisfactory. Nationally, a three, the passing score, is seen as an outstanding achievement. However, a three at Arcadia High School is considered the norm, as AHS is one of the most successful high schools in AP pass rates. This trend has been apparent over the past few years, especially AHS’ “83.9 percent pass rate in 2016,” said Superintendent Dr. David Vannasdall. Although the statistics are yet to be announced this year, it is safe to assume that we can expect a similar, if not better, result. After all, Arcadia High’s graduating class of 2017 made headlines this June for being accepted to all eight Ivy League schools, following in the footsteps of the class before them.
Though the Class of 2017 is undeniable one of the greatest in Arcadia’s history, the Class of 2018 seems to be in line to match, if not outperform, their peers. Just by looking at some of their AP scores, there are a few reasons to be wary of these star students and their bright futures. One of these students is junior Derek Jing, who earned a five in all of his APs. This feat is especially impressive considering he took three difficult APs, all of which had very low five rates. When asked what his strategy was to earn such high marks, he simply responded, “paying attention in class and learning the most from the teachers”. This speaks massive volumes to the impact of Arcadia High, as it shows that its education is at the highest level and both its students and staff are the top of the crop. In addition to this, the school is one of the most resourceful schools in California, offering over 20 AP courses and eight honors classes, allowing its many high-achieving students to challenge themselves to their greatest potential.
AP scores are determinants for how prepared a student is for college, and Arcadia High School has proven itself to be one of the best. With constant improvements and adjustments to its curriculum and teaching, AHS can look forward to an even greater percentage in AP pass rate in the coming years and more importantly, an all-time high of college acceptance rates.
