For the first time ever, all five Des Moines high schools are listed among the state’s top 50 high schools on the Iowa AP Index.

The Iowa AP Index, compiled by the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa, ranks how well Iowa high schools provide students with the opportunity to take high-level Advanced Placement courses. The rankings are based on the number of AP exams taken by students compared to the number of graduates from the spring of 2012.