​​​HONOLULU –Hawaii students at 37 public high schools have earned College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Scholar Awards in recognition of exceptional achievement in AP Exams. 

At eight Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) high schools, 15 students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. The State AP Scholar is granted to the one male and one female student in each U.S. state with scores of 3 or higher in the greatest number of AP Exams, and then the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all the AP Exams taken.  The two Hawaii 2014 AP Scholars are Vivian Fang from Mililani High School and Christopher Kim from Maui High School (see full list of qualifiers below).

“We want to congratulate all of our high schools where students and teachers are meeting the high expectations afforded in AP,” stated Stephen Schatz, HIDOE deputy superintendent. “We are very encouraged by the increase of students taking the AP exam as well as a greater proportion of our students achieving passing scores on these rigorous exams.”

The AP 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 the AP Exams. About 20 percent of the 2.1 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award. 

HIDOE high schools continue to show consistent AP participation and progress overall, reflecting the state’s commitment to college readiness.  In 2014-15:

• ​5,631 students took at least one AP exam, an increase of 8.9 percent over the previous year; 
  
• 8,270 exams were taken, an increase of 9.7 percent; and 
  
• 3,383 exams scored 3 or better, up 8 percent over the previous year.  
  

Over the past four years, the numbers of AP tests taken and tests passed have increased by nearly 30 percent. Students are being provided more access to AP courses and are encouraged to hold high expectations for college.​

Through 34 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admission process. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the United States provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying exam scores. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher college graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.