PAHS Bests State, National, Global Averages on AP Exams

Phoenixville Area High School students are beating state, national, and global averages on their AP exams, PAHS Principal Dr. Craig Parkinson announced at the school board’s September 20 meeting.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the students who performed so well this year, and the teachers as well,” Parkinson said, before taking the board through a slideshow outlining the Phantoms’ excellence.

PAHS students, Parkinson explained, are taking more AP exams than they have in past years and are performing better on the tests.

382 PAHS students sat for AP tests in 2012, up from 276 in 2011 and 210 in 2009. And already, 584 students have enrolled in AP courses for 2012. (Enrollment figures tend to exaggerate performance however, as some students who register for the classes invariably don’t take the test. While 382 tested in 2012, 454 initially enrolled.)

Out of the PAHS students who tested, 89 percent earned a score of 3 or higher, which marked a 19 percent increase from the previous year. (AP tests are scored from 1-5, with 3 indicating a passing grade.) This also put Phantom test takers well above their counterparts on the state, national, and global levels; where 68, 58, and 61 percent scored 3 or better.

“As we see, Phoenixville Area High School continues to perform very well,” Parkinson added.

The high school also boasted a large portion of top performers. 35 percent of PAHS students scored a 5 on their AP test, more than twice the national average of 16 percent.

The most recent round of testing also gave PAHS seven National AP Scholars, the highest distinction the test recognizes. The award is reserved for students who take at least eight AP exams and score 4 or higher on each of them.

“I just feel lucky to be the guy up here to share this great news,” the proud principal concluded.