VAN NUYS : School Is 15th in U.S. in AP Tests Taken
Out of 10,800 high schools nationwide, Van Nuys High School ranked 15th in terms of the number of Advanced Placement tests taken during last school year, according to the College Board.
Advanced Placement courses are college-level classes taken by high school students. Once in college, students can receive academic credit for having taken the courses and passed the exams.
At Van Nuys, which boasts a math-science magnet program, one of the most popular AP exams is the calculus test.
“We had so many students that they filled the gym completely,” said Robert Scharf, Van Nuys High principal.
The school, which also houses a medical studies magnet program and another in the performing arts, offers AP courses in almost all subjects, Scharf said.
“It continues to reflect the high quality of students at our school,” he said.
In a letter to Scharf, Wade Curry of the New York-based College Board, which oversees the AP program nationwide, wrote: “The fact that so many of your students are taking the AP exams signifies that your school has attained a level of academic excellence for which you should be proud.”
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