For the third consecutive year, Sunny Hills High School earned Gold recognition on the College Board’s Advanced Placement [AP] School Honor Roll, an academic distinction that measures how widely students participate in AP courses and how well students perform once enrolled.

However, unlike the trophies or banners displayed in the gym, schools do not apply for the recognition, nor do students compete directly for it. Instead, schools are evaluated annually using data from the most recent graduating class, according to College Board.

Principal Craig Weinreich said the school aims to strike a balance between challenging students and protecting their well-being, emphasizing that course choices should be ambitious but manageable.

“We want kids to be able to take the most rigorous classes that they can,” Weinreich said. “But we don’t want them to stress themselves out over doing that.”

Launched in 2023, the AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP Programs demonstrate both strong student participation and exam performance, according to the College Board.

Schools are evaluated across three research-based categories tied to college outcomes: college culture measured by AP participation; college credit, reflecting exam scores and college optimization, which tracks whether students spread AP coursework across multiple grades.

To qualify for the AP School Honor Roll, schools must meet the following benchmarks for their graduating class, according to College Board:

• At least 40% of students must have taken one or more AP exams during high school
• At least 25% must have earned at least one score of three or higher on at least one AP exam
• At least 2% must have taken five or more AP exams, including at least one taken in freshman or sophomore year 

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

Senior Tate Garcia, who took AP United States History [APUSH] his junior year and is currently enrolled in advanced Macroeconomics and United States Government and Politics, said the recognition reflects the level of commitment required to succeed in those courses.

“It’s definitely a challenge just doing one AP class,” said Garcia, who scored a three on his APUSH exam. “It’s really just props to everyone that decides to take those steps, and take that challenge of taking on that extra load.”

The senior said he believes this distinction encourages students who are considering challenging themselves with more rigorous courses.

“It’s really a credit to the people who decide to take on that extra load,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it comes down to whether a student wants to challenge themselves.”

Senior Logan Langrell, who has taken six AP exams throughout her high school career, said she was initially unaware of the AP School Honor Roll recognition but believes it validates the effort many students put into their coursework.

“It does make my effort feel more recognized,” Langrell said. “I feel like I try really hard at school, so I’m glad the school is doing well.”

Langrell also said the recognition reflects a broader academic culture at Sunny Hills, where taking AP classes is often considered the norm. She said that while students technically have a choice, there can be social pressure tied to course selection.

“I feel like there is a sense that people look down on you if you don’t take AP classes,” said Langrell, recalling reactions from peers when she chose a regular history course instead of APUSH.

The senior said she is aware of the pressure but tries not to let it dictate her decisions.

“It kind of reinforces it,” she said, referring to the Gold recognition. “Because we’re doing good, people think we can keep the streak going.”

Despite that pressure, Langrell credited many of her AP teachers with preparing students for exams through consistent review and practice.

Junior Nathaniel Mitri said learning about the AP School Honor Roll felt especially meaningful, since his class will be included in next year’s evaluation. Having taken three AP exams since freshman year, Mitri said that recognition highlights how individual course choices contribute to a larger schoolwide picture.

“It’s pretty cool,” Mitri said. “It’s another thing you get to contribute to at school — another thing you can say you helped with.”

The junior said while the recognition did not change his academic plans, it reinforced a culture at Sunny Hills in which AP coursework is widely encouraged.

Like Langrell, he said many students already feel pushed toward AP classes simply because of who they know and which classes their peers take.

“The atmosphere kind of leans toward everyone taking AP classes,” Mitri said. “Because we’re doing well, people think we can keep the [Gold] streak going and even do better.”

Mitri said his AP teachers prepared students well for exams through challenging coursework and targeted review.

“It sounds scarier than it actually is,” he said. “It’s obviously harder than a regular class, but once you take your first one, you realize it’s not that much worse than an honors class.”

THE ROAD TO PLATINUM

Schools that qualify for the AP School Honor Roll are placed into one of four distinction levels — Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum — based on how strongly they meet participation and performance standards, according to the College Board.

Although Sunny Hills has earned Gold recognition for the third consecutive year, Platinum — the highest level of distinction awarded to schools that surpass participation and performance criteria — remains the next milestone.

To reach that level, a larger share of the graduating class would need to take AP exams, earn qualifying scores and complete multiple exams across different grade levels.

Weinreich said the school is not pushing students toward advanced coursework just to move up a tier.

“We’re not actively trying to bump that up,” the principal said. “If we get there, it’s great, but it’s not forcing us to try to get to that point.”

Lead counselor Beth Thomson, who oversees the school’s AP program, said reaching Platinum would not simply mean pushing more students into advanced coursework, but ensuring they are academically prepared and genuinely interested.

“The counseling department guides students to take AP courses when they are ready,” Thomson said. “If they have earned all As in college prep coursework, we encourage them to try an AP course here or there — and always in a subject area in which they desire to have more knowledge.”

The counselor noted that students who hesitate to enroll in AP classes often do so for practical reasons rather than ability.

“In my experience, students who do not want to take an AP course are the ones who want to maintain their perfect GPA and or not overwhelm themselves since they do much outside of school as well,” she said.

She emphasized that AP coursework should align with a student’s readiness and workload rather than external recognition.

“Students should select coursework because they, as an individual, desire to know more content about the subject area, not because of an acknowledgement,” said Thomson, referring to the AP School Honor Roll. “The recognition is simply an outcome reflecting how awesome our students are.”

To support students who choose advanced coursework, Thomson said that the school offers flexibility, including the option to level down within the first six weeks of a semester if a student feels overwhelmed.

Weinreich said the school generally relies on guidance rather than strict barriers when students consider higher-level classes.

“We don’t stop them,” he said. “It’s more of a recommendation because we just want them to be as successful as they can.”

The principal also said expanding access can mean expanding variety — including career-focused options that reach different student interests.

“Next year, we’re introducing AP Business with Personal Finance,” he said. “This could reach a different student from a different background.”

While multiple schools in the district earned recognition, only two reached the Gold level.

Within the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Sunny Hills and Troy High School earned Gold recognition on the AP School Honor Roll, according to College Board.

Fullerton Union High School, La Habra High School and Sonora High School were recognized at the Bronze level.

Weinreich said the recognition reflects both student ambitions and teacher support.

“I think it just speaks to our academic excellence,” he said. “It’s a testament to both our students who want to do that and our teachers who want to help prepare them.”