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. Congratulations to all of the teachers, counselors and students whose hard work and commitment led to this national award!
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).
Since the 2008-2009 school year, Irving has increased:
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By 70 percent - the number of students taking AP courses.
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By 62 percent - the number AP Exams administered.
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By 62 percent - the number of AP Exams with a score of 3, 4, or 5.
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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:
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By 19 percent - the number of students who took an AP Exam.
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By 41 percent - the number of students who scored a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP Exam.
Irving ISD Celebrates National Award
Thousands of Advanced Placement students, teachers and supporters packed into the Irving High School auditorium on February 18 to celebrate Irving ISD’s National AP District of the Year Award.
The Irving High School drum line and members of the school’s cheer squad and drill team greeted students from MacArthur High, Nimitz High, Singley Academy and Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory as they arrived to the host campus Wednesday. After a welcome from Adam Grinage, Ed.D., associate superintendent of academic services, the IHS JROTC and choir students led the audience in the pledges and National Anthem.
Dr. Grinage recognized members of the district’s leadership for their support of AP students and teachers. They included:
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Deborah George, division director of curriculum and instruction
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Dr. Whit Johnstone, division director of planning, evaluation and research
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Dr. James Rambo, program director of student assessment
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Paula Barnhouse, director of guidance and counseling
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Audra Rowell and Karen Zeske, coordinators for gifted and advanced academics
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Judy Stricklin, AVID coordinator
He also noted the invaluable contribution of all campus administrators, school counselors, AP coordinators, AP teachers and AVID teachers.
As part of his message, Superintendent Parra asked students who had taken three or more AP classes to stand. He asked students to remain standing if they had taken four or more, and increased the number until only a few students stood. (By the way, he counted all the way to 15.)
Dr. Parra talked about the opportunity he had to not only attend Governor Greg Abbott’s State of the State Address in Austin Tuesday, but to also stand and be recognized on behalf of Irving ISD, who Governor Abbott declared “the very best ISD for advanced placement in the entire United State of America.”
Jeff Tillerson, AP Calculus teacher at MacArthur High School, spoke about his experience as an AP teacher, and MacArthur High School senior Joseph Trujllo lent a student perspective, saying, “the encouragement and motivation of my teachers helped facilitate his journey success.”
High school principals and AP teachers then recognized its AP Honor Roll Students:
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155 AP Scholars for receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams;
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24 AP Scholars with Honors for receiving average scores of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these Exams; and
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23 AP Scholars with Distinction for receiving an average score of at least a 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these Exams.
The event concluded with the presentation of the AP District of the Year Award by Dr. Richard Middleton, vice president of the southwestern regional office of The College Board and The College Board Trustee Paul Weaver to Dr. Parra and Irving ISD Board President Larry Stipes.
