Irving ISD has been recognized by the College Board as its 2015 AP District of the Year. This honor is a result of the district expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and improving AP Exam performance.
Irving ISD was one of 547 school districts across the U.S. and Canada that achieved placement on the 5th Annual AP District Honor Roll. From this list, College Board selected three AP Districts of the Year – one for each category of district population size: small, medium, and large – based on an analysis of three academic years of AP data. Irving ISD, with an enrollment of 35,000 students, is the winner in the mid-sized category (defined as having 8,000 to 49,999 students).
“Irving ISD was the very top district of its size for increasing, simultaneously, AP access and scores,” says Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and instruction for College Board. “Your district’s data jumped off the spreadsheets, making Irving the clear national leader in achieving this growth in equity and excellence,” he wrote in an email to district staff.
Since the 2008-2009 school year, Irving has increased:
- By 70 percent – the number of students taking AP courses.
- By 62 percent – the number AP Exams administered.
- By 62 percent – the number of AP Exams with a score of 3, 4, or 5.
- By 83 percent – the number of students who scored a 3, 4 or 5 on an AP Exam.
In the 2013-2014 school year, Irving has increased:
- By 19 percent – the number of students who took an AP Exam.
- By 41 percent – the number of students who scored a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP Exam.
“We are committed to providing all students with access to rigorous coursework and support systems that provide every student the opportunity to achieve his or her maximum potential,” says Jose L. Parra, Ed.D., Irving ISD superintendent. “We do everything we can to help students succeed, and this award recognizes our dedication and accomplishment. To be selected out of all of the school districts is truly an honor. I am extremely proud of our students and staff for their work that led to this achievement.”
Committed to increasing access and success in AP courses and on AP Exams, Irving ISD has the following in place:
- A culture of open access to Pre-AP and AP courses.
- All Irving ISD students enrolled in an AP course are required to take the AP Exam. There is no cost to the student as the district pays the AP Exam fee.
- AP Action Plan: campus and teacher data talks, coaching AP teachers, student and teacher support for success, AP Super Saturdays, AP Summer Institute and AP workshops.
As an AP District of the Year, Irving ISD will receive a $10,000 scholarship to use at its discretion in continuing to build out its AP program. In addition, College Board will feature Irving ISD students, teachers and schools in videos, a case study and marketing campaigns.
Source: Irvingisd.bet
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