Lakewood Ranch High School added another prominent accolade to its growing list of academic accomplishments when it was recently placed on the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll for the 2022-2023 school year. Only 30 percent of eligible high schools attain AP Honor Roll status.
The AP Honor Roll is designed to celebrate high schools who do an exceptional job of encouraging students to take AP courses and pass AP exams. High schools eligible for this honor cover the United States (including U.S. territories) and Canada.
“This honor is a reward and recognition for the incredible efforts of our students and teachers,” said Principal Dustin Dahlquist. “It demonstrates that Lakewood Ranch ranks and competes with the best high schools in the country.”
AP Honor Roll schools come in four different categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Lakewood Ranch achieved Silver status, by having 56 percent of its graduating class take at least one AP exam during high school and 18 percent take five or more AP exams. The school also received the AP Access Award for achieving a level of diversity in AP exam participants that mirrors the school’s overall demographics.
“It’s nice to get this recognition specifically for AP because it is something we really focus on and encourage our students to participate in,” said School Support Specialist Sammy Biggs, who has played an instrumental role in the growth of AP at LRHS, along with Assistant Principal Jeanne Galindo. “It proves our teachers are getting our students across the finish line and ready for their next endeavors.”
An important element to the success of AP at Lakewood Ranch has been the addition of the AP Capstone Program. AP Capstone is a diploma program based on two yearlong AP courses that helps students attain highly-refined research, writing and other skills that are tremendously valued by elite colleges and universities.