Superintendent Luna Announces Idaho's AP Scholars

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna announced today that two Idaho students have received the College Board State AP Scholar Awards based on their outstanding performance on the 2010 Advanced Placement Exams.

Chelsea L. Merriman, a graduate of Timberline High School in Boise, and Evan S. Olson, a graduate of Capital High School in Boise, are among 109 students nationwide to receive this honor.

“It’s exciting to see Idaho students honored nationally with such a prestigious award,” said Superintendent Luna. “I’m proud of the accomplishments of Chelsea and Evan to choose to take advanced courses. Taking AP and dual credit courses are great ways for Idaho high school students to challenge themselves academically while getting a head start on college work.”

This is the 20th annual celebration of State AP Scholars.  The College Board confers this distinction on the top male and female students in each U. S. state and D.C. with scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP Exams, and then the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all AP Exams taken.

The College Board’s AP Program provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school and to earn college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.  In 2010, 3.2 million exams were taken by more than 1.8 million students at nearly 18,000 high schools. On nearly 60 percent of these exams, students received scores of 3 or higher on a five-point scale, which potentially qualifies them for credit, advanced placement or both at colleges and universities worldwide. 

Merriman is now studying at Notre Dame, and Olson is studying at Harvard.

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity.  Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations.  Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid and enrollment.  Among its widely recognized programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®), SpringBoard® and ACCUPLACER®. The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns.

~ Melissa M.