History Students Reach High AP Pass Rate

South San Francisco High School came out of the last academic year with an 88 percent pass rate on the AP U.S. History test, with nine students achieving the highest score of 5.

“It’s a constant reminder that hard work pays off in the end,” said student Nathan Madonich, who scored a 5 on the test.

It was the teacher’s first time instructing the class.

“I thought my students would do well on the AP exam, because they worked extraordinarily hard throughout the year,” said Rhonda Clements. “However, when I finally received the data on the distribution of scores, particularly the number of 5's and saw the fact that all students scored at least a 2, I was ecstatic.”

30 out of 34 students passed the exam, with nine students scoring 5, seven students scoring 4, 14 students scoring 3 and four students scoring 2. No students scored a 1.  

“I gave up nights of sleep, weekends and even some days of vacation for this class,” said student Caroline Goswami, who scored a 3 on the exam. “However, the sweet, accomplished feeling at the end of the year made all my hard work pay off.”

APUSH students are expected to utilize writing and critical thinking skills and have an extensive and broad knowledge base to which they can apply historical issues.

“I attribute their accomplishment to two things—their commitment and the rigorous academic programs we are offering at SSFHS,” said Clements. “Each student understood that if they didn't give the class 100 percent effort, the only person they were cheating or letting down was him or herself.”

“I feel very happy that I passed this test because, despite my interest, I was never really good at history,” added student Ka Ho Cheung, who scored a 4 on the test. “I achieved this score mainly from Clement's teaching style.”

In fact, many students attribute their high scores to her.

“Clements is excellent at showing the connections between every new piece of information so each subject is directly connected to the new one,” said student Karinna Seward, who achieved a score of 5 and spent time outside of class furthering her understanding of the material.

“My brain was digesting the information as she taught and lectured and the time spent on homework, other assignments and group projects were all completely relevant and helped me remember everything I needed to know for the test.”

The county has a 66 percent pass rate on all AP exams. The state has a 55 percent pass rate on APUSH exams and the national average is even lower— at 52 percent. Office staff and APUSH teachers at El Camino High School were not available for comment.

When compared to the nation you can see (SSFHS) achieved an amazing score, said Principal of SSFHS, Anthony Limoges. “It’s unbelievable—it shows all the hard work she put in.”

Clements used a variety of teaching tools such as lectures, projects, debates and simulations.

“Last year was my first year teaching APUSH, so I don't pretend to have all the answers,” said Clements. “The most important thing for me is to create a space where students can engage with the content and have fun while learning.”

Clements used AP strategies to enhance her students’ ability to use reasoning to interpret complex concepts. She placed an emphasis on writing and the importance for her students to be able to develop a strong argument.

"Clements' AP US History students' scores underscore both the good teaching at SSFHS, as well its talented group of students," said Social Studies teacher and colleague of Clements, Ashley Gray.