School leaders report on banner year for AP program

School Committee members came away thoroughly impressed by the continued success of Canton High’s Advanced Placement (AP) program, which again saw record-setting participation rates and test results during the spring of 2025.

School Superintendent Derek Folan, who led the charge more than a decade ago to remove prerequisites for AP courses while making end-of-year exams mandatory, was ecstatic as he heard the latest figures from Principal Jeff Sperling and CPS Technology Director Josh Fogel at last week’s committee meeting.

Operated by the College Board, the AP program offers university-level coursework and exams to U.S. high school students with an opportunity to earn college credit for those who earn qualifying scores. Tests are graded on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (no recommendation) to 5 (extremely well qualified).

A score of 3 indicates a passing or “qualified” grade, and last year at CHS, 86 percent of all AP test takers hit that mark — up from 81 percent in 2024 and easily the highest percentage achieved over the past nine years. More than half (53.7 percent) of all CHS AP test takers managed a score of 4 or higher, which was just under the nine-year high of 54 percent seen in 2020.

Last year also proved to be a banner year for AP English at CHS, with a whopping 98 percent of those who took an exam in that subject scoring a 3 or higher, up substantially from 77.9 percent in 2024. CHS students also recorded nine-year highs in the percentage of qualified scores (3-5) earned in Math and History, and they exceeded the state averages for qualified scores on 16 of the 22 total subject tests taken, including scores of 3 or better on 100 percent of the following exams: Macroeconomics, Chinese Language & Culture, Spanish Language & Culture, 3D Art & Design, and 2D Art & Design.

Overall last spring, a record number of CHS students (328) took a record number of AP exams (699) while earning an average score of 3.51. By comparison, just two years earlier, 241 students took a total of 510 exams with an average score of 3.00.

Of the students who took one or more AP courses in 2025, more than three-quarters took a History exam and more than half took a Math exam. Other popular subjects included ELA and Science with 136 and 120 participants, respectively.

Sperling attributed Canton’s recent AP successes to a variety of factors, including increased opportunities for students and staff to interact with the curriculum, adjustments to the scoring model for several of the exams, and students’ commitment to the coursework.

Commenting on the latest achievement gains, Folan said it starts with the teachers, many of whom have received specialized training in AP instruction. School Committee members Kristian Meranda and Kendall O’Halloran agreed that a lot of the credit should go to the teachers, who they said are preparing students well ahead of time with summer work, practice tests, and the depth and breadth of content covered.

Student representative Charlotte Powers noted that students feel supported by the teachers and are very prepared going into their AP exams. At the same time, she urged students not to feel pressure to take AP courses and to try not to take on too much in any given school year.

In other School Department news:

* Folan said CHS is preparing to welcome a team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) for its 10-year re-accreditation visit beginning October 5. Since its last visit, Folan said the organization has overhauled its processes to better engage educators and administrators and provide greater opportunities for school-based reflection and growth. Sperling said the accreditation team will conduct classroom observations and lead focus groups to gauge the school’s progress toward addressing identified priority areas.

* School Committee members welcomed a new director of counseling for grades 6-12, Abby Barlas, who comes to Canton after a 12-year stint in the Mansfield Public Schools, where she worked as a guidance counselor, assistant principal, and more recently as director of elementary special education. Barlas holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Ithaca College, a master’s in counseling from George Mason University, and CAGS in educational leadership from the University of New England, and she previously spent a year at CHS as a long-term substitute. As guidance director, Barlas will take on the role last held by Meredith Chamberland, who is staying on as a guidance counselor at CHS.

* The committee accepted a donation of nearly $100,000 from the Blue Hill Country Club to administer the Eddie Clifford Memorial Scholarship. Making the check presentation were former Select Board and School Committee member John Connolly, CHS alum Jill Corwin, and Vinnie DelZoppo Jr., son of the late Vinnie DelZoppo Sr., former longtime golf pro and owner of the golf shop at BHCC. With DelZoppo Sr. and some of the other trustees of the scholarship having passed away, Connolly said the decision was made to turn the remaining funds over to the town with the request that three annual scholarships be awarded to Canton students, preferably those with either ties to Blue Hill CC or those who have a passion for golf and the outdoors.

* Sperling introduced the new student representatives to the School Committee, including this year’s Student Advisory Committee co-chairs, Charlotte Powers and Isabella Holland, as well as Daphne Bui (grade 12), Brianna Geoghan (grade 11), and Jasper Mahoney (grade 10). The grade 9 representative will be installed following student elections in early October.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Sep 25 2025. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.