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.