Three archdiocesan high schools earned places on the fourth annual AP District Honor Roll for increasing access to Advanced Placement course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of three or higher on AP exams.

The Catholic high schools are Blessed Trinity, Our Lady of Mercy, and St. Pius X.

Brian Newhall, principal of Our Lady of Mercy High School, in Fayetteville, said the school’s goal is to increase scores on AP tests while increasing enrollment in these challenging classes.

“AP classes are considered the ‘gold standard’ for high school curriculum and Mercy is proud to share this honor with our sister schools on the north side,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta is one of 477 school districts nationwide to be honored and one of four in Georgia.

“We are proud of the commitment our principals and teachers make to inspire and encourage their students to engage in rigorous college-level course work, which will ultimately prepare them for success in college,” said Diane Starkovich, superintendent of Catholic schools, in a news release.

In 2013, more than 3,300 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.