Two Missouri high school graduates were recently named 2015 Missouri AP Scholars by the College Board for their performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

Missouri's recipients are:

• Matthew Chan, Ballwin, Marquette High School
• Lydia Fletcher, Fenton, Rockwood Summit High School

The award recognizes students who have earned the most scores of 3 or higher (on a 5-point scale) with an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken. Two winners from each state and the District of Columbia are honored annually.

“AP classes provide an opportunity for students to take rigorous college-level coursework while still in high school,” said Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “Both students are to be congratulated for their hard work and success.”

Founded in 1990, the College Board was created to help expand access to higher education. Each year, the organization helps more than 7 million students across the country prepare for college through programs and services that include AP classes and the SAT exam.

Ensuring Missouri students graduate high school college and career ready is one of the primary goals of Missouri’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, which calls for Missouri to be one of the top 10 states for education by 2020.

Two Missouri teens are among 108 students nationwide to receive the College Board State AP Scholar Award for outstanding performance on 2013 Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

Missouri's award recipients are:

• David L. Wang, Lafayette High School, Ballwin
• Slava S. Butkovich, Blue Springs High School

The AP State Scholar Award recognizes students in each state and the District of Columbia who have scored a 3 or higher, on a 5 point scale, on the greatest number of AP exams and who have earned the highest average score of at least a 3.5 on all AP exams taken.

The College Board's AP program provides students with the opportunity to take college-level classes while still in high school and potentially earn college credit if they receive a score of 3 or higher on the exam.

More Missouri students are performing successfully on the AP tests. The number of AP exams receiving a 3 or higher increased by nearly 1,000, from 15,653 in 2012 to 16,638 in 2013.

Missouri has also seen a rise in the number of AP exams being taken. Public school students took 26,486 AP tests in 2013, about 1,800 more than the previous year.

Founded in 1990, the College Board was created to help expand access to higher education. Each year, the organization helps more than 7 million students across the country prepare for college through programs and services that include AP classes and the SAT exam.