Published: December 1, 2015 at 5:15 p.m.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Kingsport City Schools has been named to the 2015 College Board’s 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll, one of only ten districts in Tennessee to receive the honor.

Four hundred twenty-five (425) districts across the U.S. and Canada were honored for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams. Reaching these goals indicates that these districts are successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are likely to benefit from rigorous AP course work.

“Being named to the 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll is yet another indicator of our district’s commitment to provide a world class educational experience for Kingsport’s students,” said KCS Superintendent Dr. Lyle Ailshie.  “We actively strive to create a K-12 culture that prepares students for rigorous coursework and we are excited that more KCS students than ever before are succeeding in their AP studies.”

Data from 2015 show that among African American, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating because their schools do not always offer the AP course for which they have potential. These 425 districts are committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

“The success of Dobyns-Bennett students in taking AP courses and scoring highly on AP exams is a direct result of our teachers placing high expectations on both students and themselves, and also in providing the supports necessary for achievement to occur,” said Dr. Chris Hampton, Dobyns-Bennett High School Principal.  “We are proud that the entire KCS community strives to reach such excellence, and being named to the AP® District Honor Roll is a reflection of that commitment.”

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to simultaneously expand access and improve student performance.

Inclusion on the 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2013 to 2015, using the following criteria.

• Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts;
• Increased or maintained the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students, and;
• Improved or maintained performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2015 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2013, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.

When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30 percent or more are underrepresented minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30 percent or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.

The complete 6th Annual AP® District Honor Roll listing can be found here.

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and a non-traditional school; with total enrollment over 7,100 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to be, Student Focused … World Class.

KCS has been named the top school district in Tennessee as winner of the 2014 SCORE Prize District Award by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and has earned the 2014 Achievement Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee Recognition Program by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNPCE).

For more information on KCS, visit k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District) and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).

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