Irving ISD AP Scores Climb Again as Students Earn 491 Scholar Awards
IRVING, Texas - Irving ISD students posted another year of gains on Advanced Placement exams, with preliminary 2026 results showing 44% of exams earned qualifying scores, up 10 percentage points in two years.
Nearly 5,000 AP exams were administered across the district in 2026. The percentage earning scores of 3 or higher, generally considered a qualifying score, increased from 41% in 2025 and 34% in 2024.
Several Irving ISD high schools recorded significant gains.
Irving High School produced 683 qualifying AP scores, the highest total in district history for the third consecutive year. The school's AP Seminar qualifying rate jumped from 45% to 83%, while AP Precalculus increased from 38% to 77%.
Irving High also saw its AP English Language qualifying rate rise from 54% to 70%, with 80 students earning scores of 3 or higher. AP Drawing increased from 45% to 80%.
MacArthur High School had the highest overall qualifying rate among Irving ISD high schools, with 53% of its AP exams earning qualifying scores. That was up from 47% in 2025.
MacArthur's AP Computer Science A qualifying rate climbed from 35% to 80%, while Statistics increased from 49% to 78%. Precalculus reached 89%, and Calculus BC recorded an 88% qualifying rate.
At Nimitz High School, AP Macroeconomics increased from 52% to 81%, Spanish Literature rose from 50% to 75% and Psychology increased from 73% to 85%.
Singley Academy recorded a 100% qualifying rate in AP 3D Art after having no qualifying scores in the course the previous year. Spanish Language reached 88%, while Human Geography improved from 46% to 62%.
"These results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers and staff, as well as our commitment to ensuring students have access to rigorous academic opportunities," Superintendent Dr. Dorian Galindo said.
The improvement extended across several subjects districtwide. AP 3D Art increased from a 0% qualifying rate to 72%, Precalculus rose from 50% to 61%, Drawing increased from 66% to 76% and AP Seminar climbed from 61% to 69%.
AP coursework is not limited to the district's high schools. Eighth-grade dual-language students at Travis Middle School can take AP Spanish. In 2026, 68% of AP exams taken at Travis earned qualifying scores, compared with 62% in 2025.
Irving ISD pays AP exam fees for its students, removing the direct exam cost for families. Depending on the college or university and its policies, qualifying scores may allow students to earn college credit or advanced placement before graduating from high school.
The district also reported an increase in College Board AP Scholar recognition. Irving ISD students earned 491 AP Scholar awards in 2026, up from 467 a year earlier.
Irving High led the district with 148 total awards, including 109 AP Scholars. MacArthur had 31 AP Scholars with Distinction, the most in the district, and three students earned AP Capstone Diplomas.
Nimitz recorded the largest percentage increase in total AP Scholar awards among district schools, rising 21.25% from 80 awards in 2025 to 97 in 2026.
