222 Ridgewood High School Students Named AP Scholars

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — 222 Ridgewood High School students were named Advanced Placement Scholars by the College Board for demonstrating exemplary college-level achievement on AP exams; this is the highest number of AP scholars the school has had in five years, village School Board President Hyunju Kwak said at Monday's meeting.

Kwak congratulated the scholars, all of whom are recognized on record, she said, and specifically noted the 87 students who qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of three or higher on five or more of these exams.

"I know the achievements come with a lot of hard work," Kwak said. "Congratulations to everyone in your families and to the teachers, staff and administration at Ridgewood High School who work so hard to promote student progress."

Since the 2017-2018 school year, participation in AP courses continues to grow, and performance on the AP tests continues to improve, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Stacie Poelstra said at the meeting.

"It is remarkable, especially during these challenging academic times, that our students continue to participate in the program and continue to excel," Poelstra said.

In fact, the number of total AP scholars increased to 222 from 160 in 2018 and the number of students granted AP Scholar with Distinction increased to 87 from 60 in that same time frame, according to data. Additionally, from 2019 (the last year the school district offered fully in-person learning) to 2022, there was a 15.63% increase in total scholars and an 8.75% increase in students granted Scholar with Distinction.

"(The school district) just wanted to highlight how well our staff and students are doing, particularly under challenging circumstances, and recognize their commitment to academic excellence, resilience, perseverance and high level of scholarship," Poestra said.

Superintendent Leonard Fitts said during the meeting that elementary and middle school sets the foundation for student success in high school, and that the district should "pay close attention" to young learners.