Records set in AP and IB testing at high schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

 

A number of records were set at the four comprehensive high schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, both district-wide and at individual campuses, on the Advanced Placement examinations most recently administered.

Records also were set on the International Baccalaureate examinations administered at Valencia High School, with a new high of 80 seniors awarded the prestigious IB diploma.

The district's overall pass rate on the two- and three-hour Advanced Placement tests increased more than seven percent over the already-high pass rate achieved in 2021.

Passing scores – three or higher on a five-point scale for AP and four or higher on a seven-point scale for IB – can earn university credits and allow students to bypass introductory courses. Decisions on credits and class placements are made by individual universities.

A total of 4,112 AP examinations were administered to freshmen through senior students at El Dorado, Esperanza, Valencia and Yorba Linda high schools, and 480 IB exams were taken by 11^th and 12^th grade students at Valencia High School during the annual May testing period.

Here's how each high school scored on the AP tests, according to district-provided data:

El Dorado administered 1,008 exams in 22 subjects for a 77% pass rate, up from last year's 74% pass rate on 976 exams in 21 subjects. The passing rate was 100% for 34 students in chemistry.

Esperanza administered 548 exams in 20 subjects for a 78% pass rate, up from last year's 73% pass rate on 652 exams in 23 subjects. The passing rate was 97% for 31 students in biology.

Valencia administered 1,473 exams in 24 subjects for an 87% pass rate, up from last year's 78% pass rate on 1,676 exams in 26 subjects. The passing rate was 95% for 62 students in Calculus AB.

Yorba Linda administered 1,083 exams in 27 subjects for an 88% pass rate, up from last year's 86% pass rate on 1,072 exams in 24 subjects. The passing rate was 100% for 22 students in chemistry.

The average global, national and California pass rates for AP hover in the 60% range.

The most popular exam was English Language and Composition, taken by 602 mostly junior students (155 at El Dorado, 98 at Esperanza, 215 at Valencia and 134 at Yorba Linda). And higher participation and pass rates were posted for the rigorous calculus, literature, biology, physics and European history exams.

In addition to the record-high 80 senior IB graduates at Valencia High School, the school had a 98% pass rate on the 480 exams in 19 subjects, according to Fred Jenkins, the IB coordinator since the first exams were administered at the campus in 2005.

“Overall, considering the challenges over the past two years, we were very pleased with the results. In addition, our average diploma score was 34 (out of 45) and the average score on exams was 5.33 (out of 7). Both of these were also high marks since we started the IB program,” Jenkins said.