Laguna Beach Unified Wins National AP Award
District recognized for students' achievements in Advanced Placement program
Posted on November 11, 2011 by Glen Gunner.
According to an article in the Orange County Register, residents of Laguna Beach and their children have a lot to celebrate. The article, "2 O.C. school districts named AP districts of the year," states that Laguna Beach Unified and Los Alamitos Unified are two of 367 U.S. public school districts that have been named AP Districts of the Year. The distinction is earned due to Laguna Beach Unified's participation and achievement in the college-prep Advanced Placement program. To earn this recognition, a school district has to show increased passing rates on AP exams (at least a score of 3 out of 5) over the past 3 years while improving access to AP coursework, particularly for minority groups that are underrepresented. 18 school districts in California were honored this year, and Laguna Beach Unified and Los Alamitos Unified were the only two Orange County districts receiving this award.
To receive this award, certain criteria must be met. The district must increase student participation in AP courses by 4-11% depending on district size, and a steady or increasing percentage of African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students must take AP exams. Also, the AP passing rate must be maintained or improved over that three-year span, with districts already achieving a 70% or better pass rate exempt from this requirement. Laguna Beach Unified increased the number of students participating in AP courses from 211 in 2009 to 268 this year, and a passing rate of 86% was maintained over the three-year period.
This is an incredible accomplishment for Laguna Beach Unified and, in particular, Laguna Beach High School as it is the only traditional high school in the district. Laguna Beach is well known throughout California as an amazing place to live, and families who are thinking of purchasing a Laguna Beach home or Laguna Beach condo can rest assured that their school-aged children will be attending some of the best schools Orange County has to offer. Laguna Beach historically has some of the best schools in Orange County, and this recent recognition by Laguna Beach Unified only reinforces this statement. Congratulations to all of the students and teachers who made this award possible.
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