Cristo Rey St. Martin is relatively new to AP and college board testing, but this year we were given the Platinum Award for AP recognition and honor which is the highest honor an institution can receive. We began the AP program when we opened in 2009 in the old building and started with only 4 AP classes. Dr. Odiotti speaks more to the culture of CRSM academics and AP testing as he points out that “our focus on developing a rigorous curriculum and on getting results on AP exams has grown tremendously since we started as an organization… We now offer more AP courses than any other Cristo Rey Network School and over the last several years we have been increasing our results on these rigorous exams.”
The criteria for receiving the Platinum honor award goes as follows; College Going Culture (as measured by percentage of students taking at least one AP test), College Credit (as measured by percentage of seniors that earned at least a 3 on one exam), and College Optimization (as measured by the percentage of seniors taking 5 or more AP classes). “We achieved the highest level of recognition with 99% of our seniors taking at least one AP class and exam over their career, 78% of our seniors earning at least a 3 on one exam, and 36% of our seniors taking at least 5 AP classes,” says Principal Mike Odiotti.
Cristo Rey St. Martin continues to build a culture of driven and motivated students who strive to achieve more in everything they do. While we are new to the AP program as a whole compared to other schools in the area and college prep institutions, this does not stop our seniors from pushing themselves in their AP classes and on exams. Our faculty and teaching staff work with students to ensure they pass their AP classes, and succeed on exams. Through Professional Development days and staff collaboration with one another, teachers at Cristo Rey St. Martin are set on their students performing their best on AP exams, leading to our school being recognized by the College Board at the Platinum level.
Our AP program continues to flourish and exceed expectations of those in our community, as well as the students and staff involved in it. All CRSM students are encouraged to take at least 1 AP class during their time here to push themselves academically. Congratulations to our students of the AP classes in the past and current seniors for contributing to this collective success. Getting the Platinum Award is a significant academic accomplishment and is an achievement we will celebrate and continue to build upon.