McKinney, Texas – McKinney ISD has been named to the 7th Annual College Board AP® (Advanced Placement) Honor Roll for its success in increasing student enrollment in AP courses while at the same time increasing scores on AP Exams.

This is the second time the district has been honored by AP, and its appearance on the list makes MISD one of only 22 school districts in Texas—from among the state’s 1,024 districts—to be recognized this year. MISD was also recognized on the list for achieving 30 percent or higher enrollment of American Indians, African-Americans and Hispanic/Latino students.

College Board recognized a total of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada that achieved increases in access to AP courses for more students and also maintained or improved the rate at which AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam. A score of at least 3 on a 5-point scale is required to pass.

“The district has worked really hard over the past number of years to increase the participation of students taking AP courses because we know that being exposed to that college-level rigor will prepare them for life after high school,” said Melanie Magee, MISD senior director of curriculum and instruction. “But, it’s also about teachers working hard for students to be successful during that course—not just on the test. But, the end result is that they are also successful on the test.”

Among the benefits cited by the College Board and educators, AP courses help prepare students for post-secondary education by giving them access to rigorous college-level work, and according to College Board’s website, 85 percent of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions. In addition, most colleges and universities offer credit, advanced placement, or both, for qualifying AP Exam scores.

AP courses in MISD are open to any student who has successfully completed prerequisite courses (e.g., English II before English III), and who is willing to accept the time and learning requirements of a college-level class—a commitment that is accompanied by a signed agreement.

And it does require commitment. The district advises students that successful completion of each AP course requires approximately six hours of individual study time per week.

Across the district’s three high schools, 2,712 students participated in AP courses last year and took 6,191 AP Exams.

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