Polson High School makes the honor roll

Polson High School has made the honor roll.

Polson was one of five Montana high school districts, and among 433 districts nationwide, to make the College Board’s annual Advanced Placement District Honor Roll.

It’s the first national honor roll listing for Polson since it began offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses more than a decade ago.

To make the cut, districts must provide increased access to AP college-level coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of three or higher on AP exams.

For the 2015-16 school year, 32 Polson students were enrolled in AP courses. Students took a total of 64 exams. Of those, 92 percent received scores of three or higher (on a five-point scale).

The national recognition was well-deserved by staff and the students who challenged themselves, according to Polson School District Superintendent Rex Weltz and Polson High School Principal Scott Wilson.

“It shows the amount of work that both our teachers and our students put into the AP classes and the preparation leading up to those AP exams,” Wilson said.

Polson High School Counselor Emily Johnson said the recognition, “Tells us we’re doing something right.”

“Especially for our college-bound students,” Johnson said. “We’re giving these kids more opportunities to get ready for college and take care of credits before they even get there.”

Colleges and universities typically offer college credit for students with scores of three or higher, according to the College Board.

While testing isn’t a requirement to take an AP course, Johnson said it’s an inexpensive way to earn college credits. AP courses are free, but students who cannot afford the $93 cost to take an exam are offered reduced rates.

Polson High School offers six AP courses in the areas of English, government, U.S. History, physics and calculus. Students enrolled in the Montana Digital Academy can choose from additional AP courses taken online.

“It gives college-bound students a good feel for how a college course is going to look and feel and what the expectations will be,” Johnson said.

One of the unique aspects of Polson’s AP curriculum are the joint efforts of two teachers in different subjects designing complementary curriculum. These classes are taught back-to-back. Johnson gave one example of AP English Literature and Composition and U.S. History classes.

“Students learn about literature and then it’s put in a historical context, which blends really well,” Johnson said. “Those two teachers worked really hard to make those classes work together.”

She noted that 100 percent of the juniors testing in the two courses earned a score of three or higher.

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.