Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District placed on College Board’s 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll

For the third time, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) has been named to the College Board’s Annual AP District Honor Roll. This distinction, which the District was previously awarded in 2011 and 2018, comes as a result of increased participation and access to Advanced Placement (AP) course work while additionally increasing or maintaining the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on AP Exams.

According to the College Board, just 373 school districts in the United States and Canada were named to the 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll, with less than seven percent of recognized school districts located in the state of California. As a result, PYLUSD stands as one of only five school districts in Orange County and one of only 25 school districts in California to receive this matching distinction.

In 2018, the District administered 4,088 AP exams – 198 more than in 2016 – while maintaining an overall 83% pass rate. El Dorado students took 861 tests in 22 subjects, Esperanza students took 703 tests in 21 subjects, Valencia students took 1,531 tests in 29 subjects, and Yorba Linda students took 993 tests in 24 subjects.

The District’s 2018 increase in administered tests exceeds the 4% growth threshold required in large school districts like Placentia-Yorba Linda.

Set forth by the College Board, inclusion on the 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data from 2016 to 2018 using the following criteria:

• Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
• Increased or maintained percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and,
• Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2018 scoring a 3 or higher than those in 2016, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.

PYLUSD is honored to have received the College Board’s AP District Honor Roll recognition for a third time as it reinforces the District’s unwavering commitment to academic achievement, the core of the organization’s mission and vision.

Click here to see The College Board’s 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll list.