By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–The Union City School Foundation will gladly dig a little deeper than it ever has before for Union City High School students.
The foundation – along with private donors – will combine to pay out a record $19,030 to students who excelled in Advanced Placement exams given during the 2018-19 school year.
The program has grown tremendously since its inception nine years ago when $4,000 was budgeted for its first year.
A total of 86 students — the most ever — received some sort of compensation for their scores on the AP tests taken during the 2018-19 school year.
In 2017-18, the payout for 73 students was $17, 612.
AP classes are courses designed to give entry-level college classroom experience and knowledge. Students, who commit to taking the year-end exams as part of the prerequisite to enroll in the AP courses at the school, are rewarded for varying levels of performance on the end-of-the-year tests.
Those scoring a 5 (on a 1-5 grading system) received a reimbursement fee ($94) for taking the exam, $500 and college credit at any university in the United States for the class.
A score of 4 on the test is good for the reimbursement fee, $250 and college credit, while a grade of 3 on the test is deemed worthy of reimbursement of the exam cost and college credit.
Exams were given in calculus, U.S. history, world history, biology, chemistry, physics and English.
A total of 114 Union City High School students signed up for the program, and the overall “pass” rate for those involved was a sparkling 76 percent, according to UCHS principal Jacob Cross.
Nine students recorded scores of 5, with another 29 getting a grade of 4. Forty-eight made 3 on their respective exam.
Calculus students were particularly impressive, scoring at 94 percent, while those in chemistry classes posted a passing rate of 87.5 percent. Students taking the physics exam posted an overall 80 percent grade.
Cross lauded the efforts of both students and teachers in the program, saying “both of those groups did a phenomenal job.“When you have the numbers of fives and fours we had in calculus, chemistry and physics, it’s so impressive. There used to be a time when if we had one or two fives and fours in those categories, we were pleased. To have nine fives and 29 fours is just outstanding.
“I want to commend our teachers for always looking for new ways to present their material to be most effective. They constantly seek training to best reach and teach our students.”
The UCHS administrator singled out teachers Rob Wiggins (calculus), John Parr (chemistry) and Andrew Nipp (physics) for their efforts and also had special words of praise for Eli Jordan (two 5s, two 4s) James Gregory (two 4s, two 3s) and both Connor Terrell and Will Hogan (three 4s).
Claire Thomason and Jacob Virgin each had 3s in multiple classes.
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