Corridor schools at top of AP test ranking

Editor's note: An initial version of this story omitted Linn-Mar, Clear Creek-Amana and Mid-Prairie from the list. They were added on May 7, 2015 at 8:40 a.m.

CEDAR RAPIDS — High schools in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are among the top schools in the state for advanced placement test participation, an annual ranking released Tuesday by the University of Iowa's Belin-Blank Center shows.

The Iowa AP Index divides the number of advanced placement exams taken at a school last spring by the number of graduating seniors there. Passing scores can earn students college credit.

Washington High School in Cedar Rapids placed first for the seventh straight year. It was followed by Kennedy High in Cedar Rapids.

Regina High and West High in Iowa City also placed in the top five. Xavier in Cedar Rapids (10th), City High in Iowa City (11th), Linn-Mar (15th), Mid-Prairie (17th), Jefferson (19th) and Prairie (24th) in Cedar Rapids and Clear Creek (31st) high schools ranked in the top 50.

Iowa students took almost 19,000 advanced placement exams in 2014. About 63 percent of the exams earned passing scores, above the national average of 59 percent.

'Advanced Placement opportunities make a big difference in the lives of the students and their teachers,' said Susan Assouline, director of the Belin-Blank Center, in prepared remarks. 'The rating reflects participation in the AP program at a school, not the overall quality of the school. However, one indication of a high school's commitment to preparing high-ability students for college is access to advanced courses.'

The ranking is similar to a Washington Post list of 'America's Most Challenging High Schools' released last month. Washington and Kennedy high schools also placed first and second among Iowa schools in that ranking.