Release Date: October 27, 2006
Student performance on state and national
assessments
demonstrates strength of academic rigor at Durango
High School
Durango High School students passed more college-level Advanced Placement Exams in Spring 2006 than any previous year, according to data released this week by the College Board. And it’s just one example of the academic rigor found at Durango High School to ensure that graduates can compete academically with students nationwide.
Students took 236 exams and passed 186, eclipsing the school record of 160 set in 2000. The College Board named 33 students as “AP Scholars.” Only 18 percent of the 1.3 million high school students who take the exam earn the distinction. In addition, James Dudley earned the highest honor, the “National AP Scholar Award” by scoring 4 or 5 on all eight exams he took. Dudley is enrolled at Stanford University this fall.
Five students earned the “AP Scholar with Distinction Award” by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all the exams they took. And six students earned the “AP Scholar with Honor Award” by earning an average grade of 3.25 on all exams. A score of three or higher is considered passing. Depending upon the institution, colleges will grant class credit for passing an AP exam; highly selective institutions usually don’t accept AP scores for credit, but do consider scores for admission.
The district offers Advanced Placement classes in 11 subject areas. Enrollment increased 10 percent from 2004-05 to 2005-06 to 248 students. (That includes duplicate enrollments.)
Here are other examples of high levels of student achievement at Durango High School:
·
Three DHS students were named National Merit Semifinalists and seven
were commended for their performance on the PSATs last year. The 10 honors are
the most the high school has received in its history.
·
Angelica Pozo-Desportes earned the College Board’s “National Hispanic
Scholar” award based on her 2006 PSAT score. Only 3 percent of Hispanic
students who took the exam received the honor.
·
Durango High School’s percentage of advanced scores on the ninth- and
10th-grade CSAP reading, writing, and math tests far exceed state averages. Advanced
scores indicate that students perform at two grade levels higher than their
enrolled grade. If the high school’s percentile ranking were a grade,
DHS would earn A’s and B’s for advanced performance. See high school scores
compared with state scores here .
. .
·
The Durango
High School curriculum will grow more rigorous for all students. In Spring
2004, the board adopted new graduation requirements aligned with Colorado Commission
on Higher Education admission standards to four-year colleges and universities.
Last year’s freshman class was the first required to meet the new standards.
· The high school’s graduation rate in 2005 was 92 percent compared with the statewide average of 80 percent. 2006 graduation rates won’t be available until next spring. The Colorado Department of Education calculates graduation rates.
· 92 percent of the Class of 2006 pursued post-secondary education. Three percent entered the military. Five percent entered the workforce. See what students do after graduation:
|
What DHS Students Do After Graduating From High School |
|||||
|
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
|
Four-Year |
62% |
64% |
70% |
67% |
67% |
|
Two-Year |
10% |
12% |
11% |
14% |
14% |
|
Vocational/ |
7% |
8% |
8% |
11% |
11% |
|
Military |
6% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
3% |
|
Work Force |
15% |
12% |
7% |
5% |
5% |
|
TOTAL |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
· DHS students gain admission to some of the most elite colleges and universities in the country. See where last year’s graduates enrolled this fall . . .
· Average composite ACT score at Durango High School is 1.5 points higher than state ACT averages. One student scored 35 points out of 36 last year! DHS administrators attribute the improved scores to gifted-and-talented teacher Damian Nash, who offers the ACT prep classes. More than 125 students are expected to enroll in the classes this year. Nash also teachers AP Psychology and works with the Academic Decathlon and Aerospace Design teams.
|
AP Test Results by Subject -- 2005-06 |
|||||||
|
AP Grade |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Enrollment |
Students Scoring 3-5 |
|
Biology |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
100% |
|
Calculus |
2 |
1 |
3 |
9 |
16 |
47 |
60% |
|
English Language & Composition |
2 |
15 |
21 |
15 |
4 |
47 |
85% |
|
English Literature & Composition |
0 |
2 |
10 |
5 |
9 |
27 |
89% |
|
European History |
1 |
4 |
25 |
13 |
6 |
51 |
86% |
|
Government & Politics |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NA |
0 |
|
Psychology |
1 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
23 |
61% |
|
Physics |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
10 |
80% |
|
Statistics |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
NA |
NA |
|
Spanish |
0 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
25 |
68% |
|
US History |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
40% |
· When students exhaust the course offerings at Durango High School, they can take college-level classes at Fort Lewis College. Last year, 44 seniors – or more than 10 percent of the Class of 2006 – took advantage of the opportunity!