The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District is proud to announce that 767 students have been recognized by the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars Program for demonstrating exceptional college-level achievement through their performance on AP exams.

The AP Scholars program recognizes three levels of achievement:

• AP Scholar awards are presented to students who achieve scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

• AP Scholar with Honor awards are granted to students who earn an average score at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of those exams.

• AP Scholar with Distinction awards are the highest honor AP students can earn and require students to average 3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and score 3 or higher on at least five exams. *AP exams are scored on a 1-5 scale.

Of the 767 Bellmore-Merrick students recognized, 258 were AP Scholars, 139 were AP Scholars with Honor, and 369 were AP Scholars with Distinction.

Further, the 767 students honored this year is the most in recent history, marking a 15% increase from just two years ago. All three high schools – John F. Kennedy, Sanford H. Calhoun and Wellington C. Mepham High – had over 250 students recognized.

In addition, all three high schools were designated as Gold Schools on the AP School Honor Roll, which is also overseen by the College Board, for developing an AP program that creates a college-going culture and gives students opportunities to earn college credit and to maximize their college outcomes.

Finally, 78 Bellmore-Merrick students also earned prestigious AP Capstone Diplomas and 45 students earned AP Capstone Seminar and Research Certificates. These students were recognized for their outstanding presentation, research, collaboration, and writing skills.

"Earning recognition through the College Board's AP Scholars Program reflects the rigor, discipline, and intellectual curiosity our students bring to their coursework every day,” said Scott Bersin, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. “This accomplishment speaks not only to their individual dedication, but also to the strength of our teachers and the college-level instruction happening across our high schools."