Years of hard work, challenging practice exams, college-level prep all culminate in the advanced placement tests. For students taking AP courses, these tests are their time to shine, rise to the challenge and finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, the strict rubric attached to the AP tests allows very little leeway for error and much room for scrutiny. The tests are scores on a scale from 1-5, granting college level credit for all of the hard work each student has done, only if a score of 3 or more is achieved (competitive universities are looking for 4’s and 5’s).

Our Savior New American School is proud to shine the spotlight on our AP students surpassing national averages and positioning themselves tactfully as candidates for high level collegiate institutions upon their graduation. Dr. O’Hanlon’s AP English Language and Composition course earned an average almost one full point above the national average (14.8% higher to be exact). 20% of her class earned a 5, the highest mark awarded on this college credit exam. Typically, one in ten students score a 5 on the English Language and Composition exam.

Lisa Geraci, who lead her AP United States Government and Politics class towards striving for their best marks, came through with 70% earning college credit. The tests change each year, sometimes being slightly more difficult than others. Two things are for certain; they are never easy, and this years exam was deemed particularly difficult. Mrs. Geraci’s class scored, on average, 9% higher than the national average this year).

Miss Josette Leon’s AP United States History class (nicknamed “APUSH” amongst her  students) came through with 100% earning college credit! All of her students earned marks that would be considered highly competitive, even amongst top-rated universities. When asked to comment on her students’ achievements, Miss Leon said, “Words cannot describe how proud I am of them and their achievements during a year like no other. It is proof that hard work, determination, and self-discipline sprout great rewards.” She went on to highlight her students’ efforts, “This APUSH class worked incredibly hard this past school year. They worked not-stop in meeting the challenges set before them. This group of students were relentless in studying the content and practicing the necessary skills for writing the Document Based Question essay, attending two-hour block periods in preparation.”

Our Savior New American School is an institution that values being called, “the family Christian school” and sends out some extra props to the students and teachers who worked tirelessly in preparation for these challenging exams.