Roosevelt #2, North #4 on 2016 Iowa AP Index

For the fourth year in a row, all five comprehensive high schools at Des Moines Public Schools are listed among the state’s top 50 high schools on the Iowa Advanced Placement Index. Two DMPS high schools are among the state’s top five this year – Roosevelt High School (#2) and North High School (#4) – making them the top-ranked AP schools in the Des Moines metro.

The Iowa AP Index, compiled and released 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 college-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 2015.

Roosevelt High School is the top AP school in the Des Moines metro area, and ranked second in the state. North High School jumped to number four on the index for providing more AP course opportunities for students (North is also home to the College Board’s 2016 AP Teacher of the Year, Jean Schwendau).

“From students taking more challenging classes to teachers supporting our higher expectations, the effort to make more and more college-level courses available at all of our high schools has been incredible,” said Superintendent Tom Ahart. “The success of our effort to expand AP courses is just one example of how DMPS is becoming the national model for urban education.”

According to the most recent Iowa AP Index, DMPS high schools are ranked as follows:

• Roosevelt is ranked 2nd in the state, its highest-ever ranking on the AP Index. Roosevelt has been among the top 50 high schools every year since the AP Index was created in 2005. The school ranked 4th in 2015 and 2014, and 7th in 2013.
• North is ranked 4th on this year’s AP Index, up from 16th last year, 18th in 2014 and 28th in 2013, its first year on the AP Index.
• Hoover is ranked 17th this year, down slightly from being 12th on the AP Index in 2015 and 2014. Hoover has been among the top 50 high schools eight of the past nine years.
• Lincoln is ranked 18th in the state, its highest-ever ranking on the AP Index. Lincoln was ranked 20th in 2015, 27th in 2014 and 30th in 2013, which was the first time since 2006 that the school was on the AP Index.
• East is ranked 41st on this year’s AP Index. East was 21st last year, 45th in 2014, and 36th in 2013, its first year on the AP Index.

While “magnet schools” are not ranked in the Top 50 list, Central Academy was once again singled out for special mention by the Belin-Blank Center as a leader in providing Advanced Placement opportunities for students. Central Academy has been recognized as a state and national leader in providing Advanced Placement courses for the past three decades.

DMPS has put a significant effort over the past few years into expanding AP course offerings at all five comprehensive high schools. Enrollment in AP courses has more than quadrupled and the number of AP exams taken by DMPS students has increased two-and-a-half times in the past five years.

The following table shows the number of AP exams taken at all five comprehensive high schools plus Central Academy and Scavo High School in each of the past five years:

“DMPS has become a national model when it comes to removing barriers and providing greater access to college-level coursework,” said Amber Graeber, Advanced Placement Coordinator for Des Moines Public Schools. “By making access to AP courses more equitable across the district, we are meeting our goals of increasing our AP course offerings, AP enrollment and AP exam participation.”

The College Board created the Advanced Placement program in 1955 to offer a college-level curriculum and examination to high school students. Many colleges and universities provide credit to students who score a 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) on the AP exam.
Additional information about the 2016 Iowa AP Index can be found at www.iowaapindex.org/