District scores well on exams

The Coeur d'Alene School District's central office reported Tuesday that Coeur d'Alene High School students performed well on the Advanced Placement exams given at the school this year, the first since CHS began offering AP courses again.

Of the 166 total exams administered, 19 percent of CHS students scored a perfect score of 5 out of 5, while 41 percent scored a 4 or higher. Eight students scored perfectly on the AP English Language exam. There were seven perfect scores on the AP Chemistry exam and 5 on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam.

There are 111 CHS students in the Advanced Placement program.

Coeur d'Alene High School is focusing on the AP program while phasing out the International Baccalaureate program. IB continues to be offered at Lake City High School.

"The decision to have each comprehensive high school take on a particular and different focus seems to be working," said Superintendent Hazel Bauman. "I am extremely pleased with the students' success in this first year of AP at CHS and commend the faculty for their hard work."

The College Board, the nonprofit membership association that owns and administers the AP Program reported earlier this year that of the estimated 3 million students who graduated from U.S. public schools in 2009, more than 479,000 (15.9 percent) earned an AP exam score of at least a 3 on one or more AP exams during their high school tenure. This is up from 15.2 percent in 2008 and 12.7 percent in 2004.