Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Whether it's too low depends on what you're trying to do. These are the shares of schools at each level:
8% Platinum
7% Gold
11% Silver
10% Bronze
If they wanted to identify the top 1 percent, they could make it stricter.
From 2024-25 (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/scores/awards/school-districts-awards/ap-school-honor-roll-recipients-2025)
What an indictment of the American education system.
It is both a total indictment of the American educational system AND shows that some of the angst in DC is overblown. For population, even DC's HSes are actually... pretty decent comparatively. Like there are schools on the platinum list that I would not send my kids to, but still, on some not insane metric, those schools are in the top 8% of US HSes? That's actually kind of nuts.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Whether it's too low depends on what you're trying to do. These are the shares of schools at each level:
8% Platinum
7% Gold
11% Silver
10% Bronze
If they wanted to identify the top 1 percent, they could make it stricter.
From 2024-25 (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/scores/awards/school-districts-awards/ap-school-honor-roll-recipients-2025)
What an indictment of the American education system.
Anonymous wrote:Whether it's too low depends on what you're trying to do. These are the shares of schools at each level:
8% Platinum
7% Gold
11% Silver
10% Bronze
If they wanted to identify the top 1 percent, they could make it stricter.
From 2024-25 (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/scores/awards/school-districts-awards/ap-school-honor-roll-recipients-2025)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have no desire to legislate whether the bar for platinum is too low but. . .
For me looking ahead for my own child though, I feel like knowing a school has at least 50% of all students earning at least 1 3 on an AP exam tells me that there are sufficient number of academically inclined students for me to feel comfortable considering that school for my child. That is useful information no matter what college-boards intention with the awards are.
It’s relative isn’t it. Because IMO, bar is way too low. Earning at least one 3 on an AP test is not hard at all and just not impressive especially if you are talking about standards for families on this board. And even at this low bar, the cut off is only 50%.
The should make it earning a 4 and up at least.
Anonymous wrote:I have no desire to legislate whether the bar for platinum is too low but. . .
For me looking ahead for my own child though, I feel like knowing a school has at least 50% of all students earning at least 1 3 on an AP exam tells me that there are sufficient number of academically inclined students for me to feel comfortable considering that school for my child. That is useful information no matter what college-boards intention with the awards are.
Anonymous wrote:I have no desire to legislate whether the bar for platinum is too low but. . .
For me looking ahead for my own child though, I feel like knowing a school has at least 50% of all students earning at least 1 3 on an AP exam tells me that there are sufficient number of academically inclined students for me to feel comfortable considering that school for my child. That is useful information no matter what college-boards intention with the awards are.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Platinum should be 50% score a 4 or 5. A 3 is a low bar for many of the exams.
Maybe your standards are warped by the DMV. My well-regarded suburban Connecticut high school is “only” a gold.
PP and nope I’m not warped by the DMV. I went to a well regarded suburban NY hs and it’s platinum. I am a teacher- AP is pushed hard at DC schools. A 3 in at least one AP is not that hard. Some APs are taught as full year courses but are really a semester in college. Some APs are mostly about reading comprehension. Sorry, that bar for platinum is low.
It’s interesting that the school bar is low but the individual scholar award bars are pretty high, or they were.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Platinum should be 50% score a 4 or 5. A 3 is a low bar for many of the exams.
Maybe your standards are warped by the DMV. My well-regarded suburban Connecticut high school is “only” a gold.
PP and nope I’m not warped by the DMV. I went to a well regarded suburban NY hs and it’s platinum. I am a teacher- AP is pushed hard at DC schools. A 3 in at least one AP is not that hard. Some APs are taught as full year courses but are really a semester in college. Some APs are mostly about reading comprehension. Sorry, that bar for platinum is low.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Platinum should be 50% score a 4 or 5. A 3 is a low bar for many of the exams.
Maybe your standards are warped by the DMV. My well-regarded suburban Connecticut high school is “only” a gold.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Platinum should be 50% score a 4 or 5. A 3 is a low bar for many of the exams.
Maybe your standards are warped by the DMV. My well-regarded suburban Connecticut high school is “only” a gold.