The number of Kiski Area High School students taking Advanced Placement tests is nearly nine times higher than it was three years ago, and students are passing four times as many tests, according to data the district shared this week.

The high school also offers AP courses to far more girls and students from economically disadvantaged households than it did three years ago, district administrators said at a school board meeting Monday.

In 2016, 41 Kiski Area students achieved qualifying scores of 3 or above on 62 AP exams.

In the 2018-19 school year, 345 students passed 252 exams.

The school has been trying for years to increase the number of economically disadvantaged students and underrepresented students such as girls and those with disabilities taking AP courses and passing the exams.

In 2016, 11 girls and one economically disadvantaged student — identified by participation in the school’s free and reduced lunch program — got a qualifying score on an exam. In the 2018-19 school year, 75 economically disadvantaged students and 184 girls passed exams.

In 2016, only 7.6% of seniors had ever received a qualifying score on an exam. Last year, that percentage rose to 26.2%.

That puts the district in line with state and national averages. In 2018, AP reported that 19.4% of seniors in Pennsylvania earned qualifying scores of 3 or above, and 23.5% of seniors across the country.

The school also saw improvement in the number of students with disabilities passing exams, and the number of students passing career training certifications.

“It’s all about equity and access,” said Superintendent Tim Scott. “What systematically are you doing in your district that actually supports students, rather than just talking about it.”

To achieve these results, Kiski Area partnered with the National Math and Science Initiative for the past three years, a nonprofit that seeks to improve student performance in STEM fields. The program provides goals and incentives to teachers to help students enroll in and succeed in AP courses, while providing training sessions and professional development opportunities, Scott said.

With the help of the initiative, the high school made a concerted effort to remove barriers to AP classes, said Principal Chad Roland. Prerequisite courses were removed, and certain courses were made available as early as ninth grade. Teachers also participated in training to help students succeed.

“The biggest thing is just a culture shift, of saying, ‘Why not?’” Roland said. “Why can’t a kid take a class?”

Roland said the changes in AP achievement at the school are something to celebrate.

“To provide all of those opportunities for students in Advanced Placement courses and for them to be successful in those courses, we’re darn proud of that,” he said.

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