"Equity and Opportunity" Earn Sayville High School a Place on AP Honor Roll

For a third time within the last eight years, Sayville School District has been placed on the College Board’s Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success 

• 447 School Districts Across the U.S. and Canada Are Honored

This year, Sayville Public Schools is one of four hundred forty-seven school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 8th Annual AP^® District Honor Roll.  To be included on the 8th Annual Honor Roll, Sayville had to, since 2015, increase the number of students participating in Advanced Placement while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that Sayville is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

Advanced Placement is a program in the United States and Canada created and administered by the College Board which offers—within a high-school setting—standardized college-level curricula and examinations to high school students aspiring to attend college. AP courses and exams are a nationally recognized standard for many colleges and universities considering candidates for admission and are used to measure and gauge student achievement. High school students who receive a score of 3 or higher on an AP® exam—thereby demonstrating measured mastery of college-level work—can typically earn college credit and/or placement into advanced college courses.

Giving Sayville students “equity and opportunity” for a quality education is the primary goal at Sayville High School. Participating in the nationally recognized AP program is one of several opportunities available at the High School to enhance student achievement in a competitive environment. Today, Sayville High School continues to see growth in AP enrollments due to its expanded AP course offerings (see charts below), as well as with the AP Capstone Program (launched in 2016) that is encouraging students with unique interests to hone their college-ready skills.

This new AP Capstone program is both a Seminar and Research course, and students enrolled in this program are given the flexibility to choose a real‐world thesis topic that strongly appeals to them on an individualized level. They are then required to design, plan, and conduct a year‐long mentored, research‐based investigation and apply research methods and practices to address their chosen topics. They are also required to write a college‐level research paper, as well as to present and orally defend their research findings and methodology. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™. Those students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams will receive the AP Capstone Diploma.

Sayville High School Principal Ron Hoffer gives perspective on how the AP programs work within the general curriculum. “Our District continues to strive to provide access to college and career-readiness learning opportunities for every student.  The skill set our students will refine as a result of the challenge and rigor these college-level learning opportunities present will transcend many of their future learning endeavors.”

By offering a wider variety of AP courses, Sayville High School has increased student involvement. With both the AP course work as well as the AP Capstone Program, Sayville students have even more opportunities to choose the programs that best suit their interests and abilities while preparing them to build critical-thinking skills, confidence, and the essential time-management and study skills needed for college success.

Earning a place on the AP Honor Role for a third time (previously in 2011 and then again in 2012) is a testament both to Sayville School District’s commitment to academic excellence and to the dedication of our High School students and staff, and our supportive community.