Meridian High School Makes AP Honor Roll In 2023

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Although Meridian High School and Falls Church City Public Schools have a focus on International Baccalaureate education, the school received recognition for excellence in Advanced Placement programs.

The College Board, which manages AP programs and tests, named Meridian High School on the 2023 AP School Honor Roll with a Silver distinction. The distinction goes to schools demonstrating excellence in their AP programs with an emphasis on broad access and consistent student outcomes.

"Earning a spot on the AP Honor Roll is a significant milestone for Meridian High School," said Superintendent Peter Noonan in a statement. "This honor speaks volumes about our students' dedication, our educators' passion, and the unwavering support from our community. We are filled with pride and are motivated to continue raising our academic bar."

While Meridian High School got an overall Silver distinction, it earned a Gold distinction for 70 percent of the senior class taking at least one AP exam during high school. A total of 7 percent took on five or more AP exams throughout high school, which gives the high school a Silver distinction. In addition, it received the highest Platinum distinction for 50 percent scoring a 3 or above on at least one AP exam. Scores of 3, 4 or 5 on an AP exam can result in college credit, but minimum scores for college credits vary by college.

To make the honor roll, schools had to have 40 percent of more of seniors take at least one AP exam during high school, 25 percent or more scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, and at least 2 percent taking five or more AP exams during high school.

Meridian High School is part of the PreK-12 IB Continuum school district at FCCPS, where middle and high school students participate in the IB curriculum, and high-achieving students to work toward an IB diploma. Still, the high school offers five AP courses, which were Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Spanish Language and Culture, and U.S. Government and Politics in the last school year.

"The results from our students are consistently high, mirroring our impressive IB and SOL scores," said FCCPS Chief Academic Officer William Bates.