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Maryland and Prince George's County officials gathered today at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt to celebrate the school's high performance among black students on last year's Advanced Placement tests.

The College Board — the New York-based company that administers the AP and SAT — recognized the school as one of the nation's best at producing successful black AP test-takers. The organization released a report today stating the school's success helped black students comprise 9.9 percent of the state's successful AP test-takers, the fifth-highest such rate in the nation.

"This is a team effort, and all of us sit down and we plan to make this happen," said Roosevelt principal Reginald McNeill. "This is a great place to work, a great group of students and a great staff."

AP classes are offered in 33 subjects nationwide to mostly 11th- and 12th-grade students, and culminate with an AP exam. Exams are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, and students typically earn college credit by scoring 3 or better.

The College Board honored Roosevelt High in 2009 for having more black students earn a 3 or better on AP English, biology and chemistry exams than any school in the nation. McNeill said the school has created success by offering high-quality instruction, expanding AP course options and encouraging all students to take AP courses.

"In ninth grade, they talk about the AP classes and go into some of subjects they might cover," said Walesia Robinson, a senior who is taking seven AP courses this year. "I'm keeping my options open and studying as much as I can, while I can."

Maryland led the nation in AP performance for the third straight year in 2010, with 26.4 percent of graduating seniors scoring a 3 or better on at least one AP test. In Prince George's County, 9.2 percent of seniors accomplished the feat, according to an October news release by the county.

Officials said the difference is indicative of a nationwide performance gap between black students and the general population, caused largely by socioeconomic factors. Black students in Maryland made up 9.9 percent of the state's successful AP test-takers last year — the national rate was 8.6 percent — but comprised 35.6 percent of the state's high-school graduates.

Prince George's schools Deputy Superintendent Bonita Coleman-Potter said the county has increased emphasis on AP courses in recent years, requiring all high schools to offer at least eight AP classes. The change has helped improve performance, as 35 percent of students took at least one AP course last year — the national rate was 28.3 percent — with more than one-fourth of those students scoring 3 or better or an AP test.

"Children are being expected to do more," Coleman-Potter said. "Kids benefit more, even if they don't get a qualifying score. They benefit by having exposure to the content."

dhill@gazette.net