CHELSEA, MASS. - Advanced Placement (AP) students at Chelsea High School are outperforming their counterparts in Massachusetts and across the country.

Per reporting data released by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE), 41 percent of Chelsea High School students passed their AP exams in 2022, exceeding both the Massachusetts passing rate (30.5 percent) and the national passing rate (21.6 percent). To pass an AP exam, a student must score a 3 (out of 5) or higher.

The 41 percent passing rate is CHS’ third-highest AP Pass Rate since 2015. Students posted notable scores on the AP Calculus AB exam (86.4 percent pass rate) and the AP Spanish Language exam (80.0 percent pass rate). The 2022 passing rate in Calculus AB is CHS’ highest percentage ever on that exam in a single year.

Students in Chelsea continue to show post-pandemic academic growth and recovery. Passing AP scores increased by nearly 10 percent compared to the 2021 data.

“I am so proud of our work in this area.  Our teachers are providing rigorous instruction for our students and these scores are reflective of that.  As a district, we have been focused on closing opportunity gaps, and this is one indicator that we are trending in the right direction.  Congratulations to our educators and students!” commented CPS Superintendent Dr. Almi G. Abeyta.

Chelsea’s passing scores exceeded the rates from school districts such as Lynn, Saugus, Lawrence and Worcester among others. The significance of passing an AP exam is that, in most cases, colleges will equate a passing score to earning a college credit or satisfying a particular course requirement.

CHS students took AP exams in the subject areas of Arts, English Language Arts, Foreign Languages, History and Social Science, Math and Computer Science and Science and Technology.

Students in Chelsea helped contribute to Massachusetts boasting the highest percentage of graduating students earning a 3 or higher on AP exams in the country. DESE publishes AP Performance Report data annually on its website.