Sahuarita schools celebrate AP success

SAHUARITA, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Sahuarita Unified School District announced dramatic improvements in the Advanced Placement performance for the 2014-15 school year. According to a release, this success is due to a partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative's College Readiness Program.

"The National Math and Science Initiative is designed to bring high-level learning and academic rigor to the school subjects that help students excel in STEM fields," SUSD assistant superintendent Brett Bonner said in the release. "NMSI provides educators with the training, methods, materials and resources that contribute to academic excellence in these areas."

According to the release, NMSI's College Readiness Program is in more than 750 schools across 30 states and the District of Columbia, with Sahuarita Unified School District being the first and only NMSI partner in Arizona.

SUSD officials posted a 103 percent increase in qualifying scores on the AP math, science and English tests. The increase is from 62 scores in 2013-14 school year to 126 in the 2014-15 school year.

Not only are scores going up, but enrollment is as well. According to the recent release, for the current school year 428 students are enrolled in AP classes, that number is up from 218 two years ago.

Studies show that students who master AP courses in high school are three times more likely to graduate from college. For minority students, that multiplier is even greater: African-American and Hispanic students who succeed in AP courses are four times more likely to graduate from college.

AP exam scores of three or higher (on a five-point scale) qualify students for college credit at many colleges and universities across the country and are a prime indicator of whether students are adequately prepared for college and whether they will succeed when they get there.

Sahuarita Unified School District is holding a ceremony on Oct. 20, to recognize the students who have scored a qualifying score on the AP exams.