Springfield High School: Blue Ribbon recognition and rising AP participation

Springfield High School was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, district leaders told the board on Sept. 26, and the school presented a profile showing growth in advanced coursework and testing participation.

A Springfield High School representative said the school offers roughly 60 active courses, including 24 Advanced Placement classes, and has increased AP exam participation from about 598 exams to 850 exams over five years. "We hit 82 percent of our AP testers had a 3 or higher on their AP exam," the presenter said, noting that AP participation and success were the highest since 2020.

The presentation highlighted that about 40 percent of students in grades 10–12 take one or more AP exams, and the school forecasts about 451 students taking AP exams this year and an estimated 950 AP exams to be administered next May. The representative also noted expanded college destinations for graduates, citing that students from the class of 2024 matriculated to institutions including Princeton and Yale.

Board members asked about college-admissions testing. The school representative said preferences for the SAT or ACT vary by university and described district steps to strengthen SAT performance, including targeted 11th-grade language-arts work and a new math program with embedded SAT-prep components. The presenter also said the district is investigating making the high school an SAT test site "for our students only" to make testing more convenient.

The board and administrators said they will mark the Blue Ribbon recognition with a larger celebration after the district receives the physical award in November. The school profile the board heard was described as a public snapshot of academic performance and is posted on the district website.

The presentation did not include additional policy actions; it served as an informational update and context for future planning.