Glacier makes AP honor roll

Glacier High School recently was listed on the College Board’s Third Annual AP District Honor Roll.

It’s the first honor listing for Glacier since it began offering Advanced Placement courses in 2007.

Kalispell Public Schools was recognized among 539 school districts across the U.S. and Canada for increasing access to Advanced Placement courses and increasing the percentage of students scoring a three or higher on exams.

The AP program provides rigorous, college-level courses to high school students. Glacier offers 15 AP courses in different subject areas.

Flathead High School offers International Baccalaureate courses instead of AP classes.  

To be listed on the honor roll, a district must meet standards for increasing participation in AP courses and improving performance on the critical AP exams.

The number of Glacier students taking AP exams has been on an upward trend from the 2007-08 school year when 46 students tested to 145 students during the 2011-12 school year. Assistant Superintendent Dan Zorn presented this data during a board meeting Tuesday.

For the 2011-12 school year, Glacier students took a total of 230 exams. Of those, 70 percent received scores of three or higher (on a five-point scale).

“It’s a pretty big deal for us, especially as young as Glacier is,” Zorn said.

More than 90 percent of colleges and universities offer college credit for students with scores of three or higher, according to the College Board. This translates to a financial gain when students go on to college, Glacier Principal Callie Langohr said.

“Some students are close to entering their first year of college with sophomore status,” said.

Langohr attributed AP honor roll recognition to the school’s commitment to academic excellence.

“Our philosophy is for exceptional students to achieve at a higher level with their talents and taking advantage of every opportunity,” Langohr said.

Making courses and exams accessible to all students is also part of increasing student participation Langohr said. AP courses are free, but students who cannot afford the $89 cost to take an exam are offered reduced rates.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.