Even though “test” is an unpopular word for most students, some young people have discovered that certain exams do have their benefits. Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, while measuring what a student has learned over the course of the school year in AP courses, can mean college credit and personal acclaim!
AP courses, which are offered in subjects ranging from English literature & composition to world history to Chinese, are more demanding and difficult than their standard counterparts to better prepare students for the rigors of college courses. The AP Exams are administered each spring and are standardized - the same exam is given to a student in Oregon as is given to a student here in Arkansas.
One hundred twenty-three students in the Little Rock School District recently were named AP Scholars by the College Board, the organization that coordinates the Advanced Placement program, by virtue of their performance on their AP Exams. Four of the LRSD’s five high schools are represented in this list, and for the fourth year in a row both of the AP State Scholars are from the Little Rock School District.
Students receive a numerical grade of 1 through 5 on the AP Exams, and each grade of 3, 4 or 5 is counted (with some exceptions) in the calculations for AP Scholar honors. This list of students is determined from AP Exams taken in May 2009. Some of the students listed below graduated last spring; the remainder have at least one more school year to take more AP Exams and possibly earn another AP Scholar title.
The distinction of AP State Scholar is granted to the one male and one female student in each state and the District of Columbia with grades of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP Exams, and then the highest average grade (at least 3.5) on all Exams taken. The AP State Scholars are Yeoian Xu and Ying Xu, both from Central High School.
The AP National Scholar award is given to students in the U.S. who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. The AP National Scholars include Weihan Chen, Nathan Dostart, Helio Liu, Emily Wheeler, Yi Wu, Yeoian Xu and Menghan Zhao, all from Central High School; and Seemaab Ali from Parkview Magnet High School.
Students earn the AP Scholar with Distinction designation by earning grades of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. LRSD’s AP Scholars with Distinction are: Hamza Arshad, Jackson Berry, Hannah Blair, Weihan Chen, Matthew Christie, Nathan Dostart, Kamakshi Duvvuru, Christopher Johnson, Sarah Karney, Helena Liu, Helio Liu, Siteng Ma, Ryan MacLeod, George Millsap, Laura Neumann, Mackie O’Hara, Brenna Raney, Alexander Richardson, John Allen Riggins, Rachel Roberts, Afshar Sanati, Addison Scott, Jennifer Thompson, Neelam Vyas, Emily Wheeler, Yi Wu, Yeoian Xu, Ying Xu, Sophie Yan and Menghan Zhao, all from Central High School; and Seemaab Ali, Mason Allen, Melissa Beltran and Shelby Thomas, all from Parkview Magnet High School.
The AP Scholar with Honor award is granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The AP Scholar with Honor designation goes to: Douglas Bastidas, Blake Brizzolara, Ryan Conley, Lukas Klima, Yinxuan Li, Robert Nielson, Samuel Parr, Jennifer Perren, Garrett Phelps, Conor Smith, Emily Thomas, David Ye and Boshan Zhao, all from Central High School; and Eric Carter, Tario Jones, Michael Potter, Christopher Redmon, Shannon Rookey, John Sykes and Connor Thompson, all from Parkview Magnet High School.
Students receive the AP Scholar designation if they earn grades of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. AP Scholars include: Tyler Adcock, John Anderson, Grayson Barber, Vanessa Bastidas, Nicholas Bemberg, Thomas Booth, Rachael Borné, Samantha Burnside, Brandon Camp, Christina Cole, Lauren Cunningham, Kurt Deininger, Sai Desikan, Alyssa Evans, Davis Fleming, Catherine Fox, Kathryn Gadberry, Kathryn Gandy, Erin Gauger, Hannah Gilbert, Brenna Gilstrap, Alper Gokden, Travis Gray, Sarah Greaves, John Gresham, Blake Hamilton, Julie Haralson, Jeremiah Harpool, Shelby Held, Joshua Henrich, Luis Hernandez, Holly Hilliard, Sophie Hollenberg, Emily James, Kevin Kelly, Malan Kern, Sarah Kirchner, Michelle Lee, Kerry Lewis, Joshua Lintag, Jakob Lorsbach, Joshua Lyon, Mary McLeod, Charles Meyers, Safia Nawaz, Neil Newcomb, Evan Pardue, Janey Partin, Aashka Patel, Luke Pearson, William Ragsdale, Ryan Renard, Jessica Riddick, Caitlin Robertson, Sarah Robins, Caroline Scruggs, Samuel Segraves, Quan Shi, Xiaomeng Shi, Jordan Sims, Franz Spillenger, Thomas Spradley, Brennan Suen, Adam Thannisch, Sarah Thatcher, Dallas Thompkins, Tanner Treece, Katharine Trotter, Peter Tucker, Vicki Wang, Charles Watts, Amanda Weir, Layne White, Taylor White, Christopher Wilburn, Melissa Wilcox, Benjamin Williamson, Emily Woodell, Daphne Zhang and Elton Zhou, all from Central High School.
Also named as AP Scholars are Brittni Cochran, Temple Price and Ian Warren, from Hall High School; Matthew Alvis, Tessa Behrendt, Jonathan Berry, Brian Brooks; Jacklyn Carroll, James Castleberry, Rebekah Cavener, Chelsea Clem, Brian Cooper, Matthew Crockett, Virginia Diaz, Ryan Dickerson, Andrew Emerson, Zain Fanek, Stephan Fields, Benjamin Fish, Princeton Hynes, Casey Jenkins, Joanne Johnson, Lauren Johnston, William Jones, Alexander Kreps, Jared Lemus, Veronika Macon, Amanda Maher, Thomas Marchand, Joseph Mehyou, Laura Minicozzi, Allison Moore, Jeffrey Murray, Tristan Odekirk, Bukola Odeniyi, Dolapo Odeniyi, Evan Price, Hallie Ramser, Jose Romero, Max Roy, Keyana Sandridge, Chloe Smith, Mary Tanner, Nicholas Towbin-Jones, Olivia White, Baxter Woosley, Yair Yaccoby and Georgeanne Yehling, all from Parkview Magnet High School; and Sasha Ridgell from McClellan Magnet High School.
