College Board has named Avon High School to its 2023 AP School Honor Roll as a Bronze level school. This is the first time since at least 2012 Avon has met the rigorous criteria for AP Bronze School status.
“Here in the high school, our teachers and staff have been prioritizing college and career readiness for several years,” said Principal Ryan Wagner in reference to the school’s efforts to develop innovative mindsets, prioritize career exploration and development and prepare students for life after high school in accordance with the district’s strategic plan. “This recognition is a reflection of that commitment and, of course, of our students’ dedication and skill.”
Inclusion on College Board’s prestigious list is based on the academic performance of Avon’s Class of 2023, which graduated this past June.
Specifically, College Board relies on three distinct criteria to determine its school honor rolls.
The first, College Culture, measures what percentage of seniors have taken at least one AP course while in high school.
The second, College Credit, measures what percentage earned college credit by scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam.
The third and final criteria, College Optimization, measures what percentage of seniors have taken at least 5 AP classes while in high school - including at least one in their freshman or sophomore year.
Avon scored in the Bronze range for College Culture with 44 percent of the Class of 2023 taking at least on AP course while in high school, the silver range in the College Credit category with 30 percent of the class earning college credit by scoring at least a 3 on an AP exam and in the platinum range - the highest possible - in the College Optimization category, with a whopping 16 percent of the class of 2023 having taken at latest 5 AP courses while in high school.
“I want to congratulate our high school teachers, staff and students on this incredible recognition,” said Superintendent Ryan Pacatte. “This is truly an achievement to be proud of and I have no doubt our class of 2024 will do Avon proud when College Board releases its honor rolls next year.”
Prioritizing individualized learning pathways and opportunities for students to explore career options has been a priority for the district for the past several years. While some students pursue careers that require a college degree, others choose ones that don’t, said Wagner.
“We obviously want to make sure we’re setting our students who don’t plan on attending college up for success too,” said Wagner. “A big part of that is helping make them aware of what career options are out there that don’t necessarily require a degree.”
One recent example of this is the GLOW With Your Hands career expo in September. Thirty-four Avon student joined more than 1,000 others from across the region at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia for the annual event, which is designed to give students in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties opportunities to learn more about career opportunities in local high-growth, high-demand industries.
More than 65 business and career exhibitors in agriculture, manufacturing and other skilled trades attended this year’s event to present to students.
“This annual event is a great opportunity for our students to learn directly from professionals in a variety of industries and get a feel for what career they may wish to pursue after high school,” said Wagner.
Graphic courtesy of College Board
As shown in the table above, Avon’s Class of 2023 scored in the Bronze range for College Culture with 44 percent of the the class taking at least on AP course while in high school, the silver range in the College Credit category with 30 percent of the class earning college credit by scoring at least a 3 on an AP exam and in the platinum range - the highest possible - in the College Optimization category, with a whopping 16 percent of the class of 2023 having taken at latest 5 AP courses while in high school.