All Four Madison High Schools Make AP Honor Roll

by Ayelen Flores, age 16

Recently, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) was honored for being on the AP School Honor Roll. The district's four main public high schools—West, East, La Follette, and Memorial—are all on the honor roll.

To be on the AP honor roll, schools are evaluated on three criteria: the percentage of seniors who took at least one AP exam, students who took five or more AP exams during high school, including one in ninth and 10th grade, and students who scored a three or higher on an AP exam.

The Director of Assessment, Tim Peterson, called the distinction “a meaningful milestone for our district.”

Local high schools making the AP honor roll reflects years of hard work, Peterson says. The Madison district expanded course access to more students, encouraged students to take on challenging courses, and supported students when they enrolled.

The College Board’s AP honor roll program began in 2023, with West earning bronze recognition and Memorial receiving the same honor the following year.

In a press release, district spokesperson, Ian Folger, said that 2025 was the first year all of Madison’s public high schools were added to the honor roll.

According to a recent story in the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison West High School earned a silver-level recognition, while East, La Follette, and Memorial achieved the bronze level. Across the Madison Metropolitan School District, over 2,000 students completed more than 4,500 AP exams last spring. More than 80% of Madison students who took AP exams earned a 3 or higher on the 5-point scale.

AP courses are a way for students to earn college credit or show advanced standing when applying for college. AP courses often mirror introductory college courses, giving students a sense of what college is like.

MMSD offers a variety of AP courses in math, science, English, history, and the arts.

[Sources: Wisconsin State Journal; Channel3000.com; MMSD]