The College Board’s Advanced Placement School Honor Roll awarded Oak Park and River Forest High School a silver distinction.
The honor roll recognizes four levels of distinction — platinum, gold, silver, or bronze — based on three criteria: increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.
OPRF was rated based on the results of the 2023 graduating class and included these criteria:
- Silver status for college culture: 59% took at least one AP exam during high school. The criterion for gold is 65%.
- Gold status for college credit: 47% scored a 3 or better on at least one AP exam during high school. The criterion for platinum is 50%.
- Gold status for college optimization: 12% took five or more AP exams during high school, with at least one of the five taken during 9th or 10th grade. The criterion for platinum is 15%.
“We’re incredibly proud of the AP program we have at OPRF, and more importantly, the rich learning experiences our students are able to enjoy during their four years here,” Superintendent Dr. Greg Johnson said in a statement. “We also know that we still have work to do, and this recognition gives all of us even more motivation to ensure that all students at OPRF receive the very best education we can offer.”
OPRF offers 27 of the 40 AP classes the College Board offers, including Literature and Composition, Economics, Music Theory, Studio Art, European History, Computer Science, Physics, and Spanish.
Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to attend college and graduate on time. Students who enter four-year colleges with credit from AP also often accelerate their path to graduation and build confidence for college success. For those who don’t earn college credit, AP coursework provides early exposure to college-level work and contributes to a college-going school culture.
