Two area high schools make the grade

Paula Pisani

It’s not just the students who are getting academic recognition at

Fountain Valley and Marina high schools. The two schools were ranked 89th

and 235th, respectively, by Newsweek magazine for offering challenging

Advanced Placement courses.

Only 472 public high schools in the country were recognized in the March

13 article written by Jay Mathews.

In the 1998-1999 school year, 1,347 Fountain Valley High School juniors

and seniors and 1,067 from Marina High took AP classes -- accelerated

courses compatible to college classes but offered at the high school

level. Students who score high on the AP final exam can earn college

credits, allowing them to graduate from college sooner.

“Students who take AP classes want to challenge themselves, and they know

that these courses are looked upon favorably by college boards during

admission,” said Fountain Valley High School Principal Gary Ernst.

Schools were ranked by the number of AP tests taken by all students at a

school divided by the number of graduating seniors. By this criteria,

Fountain Valley received a score of 1.839, and Marina High School scored

1.386.

“Our students have worked so hard, and it motivates them even more to see

that their schools are recognized on a national level,” said Susan Roper,

Huntington Beach Union High School District’s superintendent.

Fourteen other Orange County high schools also ranked on the list, which

can be accessed in the archives at https://www.newsweek.com .