Northwest Early College High School earns platinum on AP School Honor Roll

What does Northwest Early College High School (NWECHS) and Taylor Swift have in common? They have both gone multi-platinum.

NWECHS has once again reached Platinum level of the AP School Honor Roll, placing the campus among the top 8% of eligible schools across the United States and Canada to earn the distinction.

Released by the College Board, the AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have demonstrated excellence in expanding student access to Advanced Placement coursework and improving performance on AP Exams. Within Region 19, only four schools achieved Platinum status. NWECHS stands as the only stand-alone early college campus to earn the honor.

Principal Frank Clark said the achievement reflects the collective commitment of students, teachers, and families.

“Earning Platinum status is a testament to the relentless dedication of our students and staff,” Clark said. “At Northwest, we believe that every student deserves access to rigorous, college-level opportunities beginning in their freshman year. Our students continue to prove that when expectations are high and support is strong, there is no limit to what they can achieve.”

The Platinum designation reflects both participation and performance benchmarks. At NWECHS, 100% of students take at least one AP Exam. Additionally, 70% of students scored a qualifying 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, and 78% of students take five or more AP Exams during their high school careers, with at least one AP course completed in ninth or tenth grade.

Despite an enrollment of fewer than 400 students, NWECHS offers one of the most comprehensive AP programs in the region. The campus provides 16 AP courses, with every student completing a minimum of 10 different AP courses in conjunction with their coursework at El Paso Community College (EPCC). By comparison, stand-alone early colleges in the region offer an average of eight AP courses, and only a handful of traditional high schools surpass Northwest’s AP course offerings.

NWECHS also leads in specialized AP access. The campus is one of only two schools in the county to offer AP African American Studies and one of just four schools to provide the AP Capstone program. In addition, Northwest offers AP Networking through a partnership with Cisco as part of Cisco’s Network Academy, making it one of only two schools in the county with that collaboration.

Great job, Griffins!