Hartselle High School breaks school record with 437 qualifying AP scores

Special to the Enquirer

Each spring students across the globe take Advanced Placement (AP) exams. The College Board’s AP program provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on one or multiple AP exams.

Hartselle High School offers 19 courses for which AP exams are offered, and in Spring 2024 355 students took 743 exams across the content offered in those 19 courses. Of the 743 exams that were taken, 437 resulted in passing scores.

437 qualifying scores constitutes a school record for Hartselle High School and means the school has achieved a 59% pass rate on the rigorous exams.

Hartselle High School Principal Dr. Brad Cooper said he is pleased with the news.

“I am proud of the record 59% pass rate, but I am just as proud of all that it points to. This is an indication of dedication on the part of students who took rigorous college-level courses to prepare themselves for their futures,” Cooper said. “It is also an indication of the dedication of their teachers who worked to prepare them for the challenge.” Hartselle City Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Brian Clayton agrees.

“The top priority of any school district is to prepare its students for the futures they imagine and the challenges they will face,” Clayton said. “This achievement is an indicator that Hartselle High School is honoring its commitment to its students and to the community.” Information regarding individual student performance will be released to HHS later this month.