Catholic Schools Week: Judge Memorial CHS receives national recognition for advanced coursework success

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More than 80 percent of Judge Memorial Catholic High School students take at least one AP course during their high school career.

SALT LAKE CITY — Judge Memorial Catholic High School is one of only two high schools in Utah to receive the Platinum with Access AP School Honor Roll Award this year. The other is Park City High School.

The award, given by the national College Board, “recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access,” according to https://apcentral.collegeboard.org.

 AP classes are “college-level courses and exams that you can take in high school,” the website states; students who take these courses can earn college credit.

Of the 115 schools in Utah eligible for the recognition, 25 percent were named to the AP School Honor Roll. All three Utah Catholic high schools earned a place on the list, but Judge Memorial was the only one to receive the top recognition: Platinum with Access. Juan Diego CHS in Draper earned Gold with Access, and St. Joseph CHS in Ogden earned Gold.

For the Platinum Award, 80 percent or more of the graduating class must have taken at least one AP exam during their high school careers, with 50 percent or more scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. In addition, 15 percent or more of the graduating class must have taken five or more AP exams, with at least one being taken in the ninth or 10th grade.

The criteria for the Gold Award is for 65 percent or more of the graduating class to have taken at least one AP exam during their high school careers, with 35 percent or more scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. In addition, 10 percent or more of the graduating class must have taken five or more AP exams, with at least one being taken in the ninth or 10th grade.

The Access Award was granted “if the percentage of AP Exam takers who are underrepresented minority and/or low-income students mirrors the school’s overall student demographics,” according to the College Board.

“We were honored that [the College Board] recognized us as a top school in the country,” said Patrick Lambert, principal of Judge Memorial CHS. “It was a nice recognition for the hard work that we see every day here at the school. … We’re really proud of our teachers for providing such great curriculum. We’re also proud of our students for being able to meet the challenge, and to thrive.”

Judge Memorial’s curriculum includes 22 AP courses throughout all the departments. One class, AP Human Geography, is available to freshmen; sophomores, juniors and seniors have “a wide variety of options” for AP classes, Lambert said.

More than 80 percent of students take at least one AP course during their time at Judge, and “many of our students have enough college credit going in to their college experience, where many of them start as juniors,” he added.

Students who take AP classes not only earn college credit, they also may qualify for more financial assistance for their higher education, and it also “is beneficial when looking at college acceptances as well,” Lambert said.

In addition, taking AP classes helps students “learn how to navigate a difficult course” and teaches time management, he said.

Lambert also is pleased that Judge Memorial earned the Access award, because the College Board data shows that oftentimes students in higher-income families “are succeeding in AP classes at a higher rate than the most vulnerable students,” he said. “We received what they called the ‘Access Certificate’ because our students that are most vulnerable are achieving at the same rate as our students with means. To me that’s incredibly impressive in that all of our students are able to see success in these courses.”

The AP award is the most recent national recognition for Judge Memorial CHS, which is also the only high school in Utah to be a four-time recipient of the national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, which is granted by the U.S. Department of Education to schools based on their academic excellence.